Bittersweet Melody
by hikari-aozora
Summary: Someday, you'll find me. SxK [COMPLETE!]
1. Prologue

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**AUTHOR's NOTE**

As you all know, I DO NOT own ANY of the Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy characters used in this fanfiction, although, that would be totally awesome. I really don't know much about writing fan fictions because this is my first one, so, R&R!

I am using songs in the chapters, but this is NOT a songfic. I just thought the added lyrics would be kinda cool. I am trying to use songs whose lyrics fit with the KH and KH2 storyline (or what I think the KH2 storyline will be, really, because I haven't played the game yet.) Most of the songs you probably haven't heard before. I tried to choose pretty uncommon songs. Also, the "song" in the first chapter isn't a song. It's the quote they put in the KH menu trailer.

FINALLY, the way things are going now, there will be a sequel. However, if I feel so inclined, I might change the storyline so that a sequal isn't needed.

Enjoy!

(Below is the Prologue)

**PROLOGUE**

"Have you heard?" was a common phrase in the current day. Of course, if you ever talked to anybody nowadays, you had heard. Everyone was talking about it, telling any random person that they met in a frantic attempt to spread the news, but someone who hadn't heard was a rare find. Absolutely every person that had half a brain new about it ...

...or rather, them.

They were once just ordinary people, but as we all know, even nobodies can be somebodies if they follow their heart.

They were three average teenagers ... well, maybe not so average anymore. They grew up far away from other worlds, yet these seemingly ordinary friends had changed life as it was known throughout the universe.

The first was a spunky, 15 year old boy with chocolate brown hair that formed unruly spikes on top of his head, who sported a silver necklace from which hung a crown-shaped figure ... the boy who would open the door to the light.

The second was a secretive, tall, muscular 16 year old young man with long silver hair, the self-appointed leader of the trio, considering he was the oldest, whose careless actions would at one point cost him his freedom and plunge him deep into darkness.

The last was a beautiful, yet mysterious, 15 year old girl with shoulder-length hair of a red-violet color, whose origin was, for a long time, unknown, who remained helpless at the sidelines as her two best friends battled on, unable to do much despite her longing to be where they were, fighting alongside.

They are, respectively:

Sora, the Keyblade Master, weilder of the weapon that destroyed the darkest of darkness when all hope seemed lost and restored what was destroyed, to whom the fate of all worlds was intrusted...

...Riku, the one whose destiny shifted when he was posessed by the seeker of darkness, but the one who redeemed himself when he broke free and assisted in the restoration of the worlds, destroying the rivaled Thirteenth Order from the inside...

...and Kairi, a Princess of Heart, whose all-too-important heart was lost at one time but protected and saved by the Keybearer, to whom many promises were made and yet to be fulfilled, who anxiously awaited the return of her heros...

...destenies forever intertwined.

_"Where is he?"_

_"Do not be afraid, and remember--""Without her heart ...""...the keyhole cannot be complete ..."_

_"Where is he?" "What's happening to me?"_

_"If there are other worlds out there, then we could have just as easily ended up on one of those, right?"_

_"Sora, you lazy bum! Wake up!" "This huge black thing swallowed me up!" "Where is he?" "Hah! You're just as lazy as he is!"_

_"It was just a dream ... or was it? I don't know. It seemed so real." "You know, Riku has changed."_

_"You're on the wrong side!""What are you talking about?" "Sora! Let's take the raft and go! Just the two of us!_

_"--you are the one who will open the door.""Riku, what are you talking about?"_

_"... so long as the last princess of heart still sleeps." "Where is he?" "Forget it!" "You're the one who's changed, Kairi."_

_"One who knows nothing can understand nothing." "We've got to find the king and this 'key'."_

_"Falling ... falling ... into darkness." "You'll never have what it takes to save Kairi."_

_"There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!""Sora? Are you really ...?""Open your eyes!" "It's no use."_

_"She's lost her heart." "Don'tyou see yet?" "Riku! Wait!" "A Keyblade..." "It's over, Sora!"_

_"Kairi's heart rests within you!" "...that unlocks people's hearts ..." "Sora! Come back Sora!"_

_"No! You won't use me for this!" "Where is he?" "...I wonder.""No! I won't let him go!"_

_"And then I heard a voice, your voice.""Wherever you go, I'm always with you.""Kairi, thanks."_

_"Have you heard the legend?""Where is he?" "The legend of the poupu fruit?"_

_"Why did this have to happen?" "You're wrong!""Open your heart to the darkness!" "Where is he?" "You're the chosen one."_

_"But why? I didn't ask for this." "Behold! Kingdom Hearts! The heart of all worlds."_

_"My heart may be weak, but it's not alone!" "Where is he?" "Let the Keyblade choose -- its true master!"_

_"But how? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!"_

_"Where is he?" "Do you remember your promise?" "You're wrong! I know now, more than ever, that Kingdom Hearts is light!"_

_"Giving in already?""C'mon, Sora! I thought you were stronger than that!""I can't go on!"_

_"We'll go together!""Where is he?" "This time, I'll protect you!""Where is he?" "Sora? Is that you?"_

_"Take care of her.""It's my lucky charm, so you have to bring it back to me, okay?"_

_"Legend has it, if two people share one, their destinies become intertwined.""I don't understand ... why did it choose me?"_

_"Kairi! Remember what you said before? Well--""Where is he?" "Riku, wait up!""You can't tell anyone"_

_"--I'm always with you too. I'll come back to you--""Run! The Heartless are coming!"_

_"--I promise!""What do you mean you can't find her?"_

_"I know you will!""Who are you?""Where is he?" "You are but a shadow of him."_

_"You are the weilder of the Keyblade.""Who are you saying that to? Me? or Sora?""His voice ... It's left me."_

_"You are needed to return Sora to what he was.""Where is he?" "What a strange dream ..."_

_"It all comes down to this.""This time, I'll fight!""Sora! Riku!"_

_"Is any of this for real ... or not?" "I'm not so sure anymore?"_

_"Where is he?" "Riku, why are you doing this? Why did you join the dark side?""Who?"_

_"We are the Thirteenth order!""Where is he?" "Let your heart guide you!"_

_"Answer me!" "I've been having these weird thoughts lately."_

_"The eternal struggle between light and darkness."_

_"There's no turning back now.""Lies, they're all lies!"_

_"You've come so far and still you understand nothing.""You saved me."_

_"No, Sora, you can't!""He simply replaced you.""No, that can't be true."_

_"You keep asking me the same question ...""Where is he?""... where is who?" _

_"Where's Sora?"_


	2. Thinking of You

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, or Final Fantasy Characters used, unfortunately ...**

**CHAPTER ONE: Thinking of You**

_"Kairi! Remember what you said before? I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you, I promise!"_

_"I know you will!"_

_But where are you, Sora?_

"Guess who?" a voice said as a pair of hands were put in front of the girl's eyes.

"Sora ..." the girl mumbled, still quite in a daydream state. She wasn't really paying attention to the voice that had asked her this, nor did she really care that she couldn't see anything at the moment, due to the hands that had been placed in front of her sapphire eyes.

"'Sora?'" the voice said, repeating the girl's response in a slightly irritated tone. The hands were removed from in front of her eyes, revealing once again to the girl the sparkling blue ocean that lay before her. "Geez, Kairi. I mean, I know you've been out of it lately, but you could of at least gotten the gender right!"

Kairi, finally acknowledging the person who had blocked out her view of the sea, turned around to see a girl about her age with short brown hair and wearing a yellow sundress. The girl had her hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised, and was tapping her foot against the wooden planks below her that made up the dock of the small island they were currently on. "Oh," Kairi said quickly flashing her friend a smile. "Sorry about that, Selphie. You caught me in the middle of thought."

"So I see," Selphie said, sitting beside Kairi and dangling her feet off the end of the dock, just like the other girl. She leaned back and supported herself on her hands, taking in the same view as Kairi. Then she turned her head toward the girl. "You were thinking about him again, weren't you?" she said.

_**Thinking of you, wherever you are**_

There was a moment of silence that passed between them, which was broken by Kairi's sigh. Selphie took that to mean yes.

"I know you guys are tired of me just spacing out like this all the time," Kairi said, pushing a strand of her red-violet hair back behind her ears that had been blown out of place by the wind and turning to face her friend.

"Huh?" Selphie cocked her head to one side. "No, Kairi, that's not it at all. I mean, sure, you get lost in thought like this a lot now, but ... we all know why. We undertand what you're going through, Kai ... or at least, we try to, but you won't talk to us much anymore."

Kairi turned her head to stare at her feet, suddenly feeling guilty. "I'm ... sorry, Selph."

Selphie's eyes grew wide and she leaned forward to put a hand on Kairi's shoulder, thinking that she may have hurt her friend's feelings. "It's okay, Kai, its okay. I'm sorry for saying that. That was stupid of me. Sorry, sorry, sorry."

The girl turned to give Selphie a smile to assure her friend it was alright, and then she turned back to face the ocean. "Nah, you're right," she said to Selphie. "I really shouldn't shut you guys out like this. There's so much I haven't told anyone and maybe ... maybe I need to get it out, let it go ..."

_Let it go? What am I saying? I can't ... I won't ... I refuse to ..._

Selphie looked at Kairi worriedly. "Let it go? What do you mean?"

_I can't ..._

Kairi shook her head. "No," she said gulping down tears. "I didn't mean that. I-I can't do that ... I can't ..." She closed her eyes to keep the tears from coming. Just the thought of letting go forever saddened her. It wasn't just him, it was both of them. They were her best friends. She couldn't ...

_I wont ..._

The brunette patted her on the back. "I know, Kairi, I know." And Selphie knew it wasn't just because they were her best friends. Kairi loved Sora, it was so obvious! Kairi was constantly thinking about Sora, drawing his eyes, writing songs about him ... she was completely obsessed with this boy! Why Kairi didn't just come out and admit that she loved him was beyond her. Selphie knew that if Kairi would just say it, she would feel better, but Selphie knew not to interfere, not to interrogate the poor girl. Kairi had been through too much, and even though it had been a year since Sora left, Selphie knew that Kairi hadn't gotten over him.

And she wouldnt. She couldn't.

_I refuse to ..._

"I c-can't stop thinking a-about h-him," Kairi stammered, struggling to hold back the tears her heart was forcing out of her. She put one hand on her chest, abover her heart, where his heart once was, too. "H-he promised h-he would come back, b-but it's b-been a year and, he's n-not here." She needed him now more than ever. Before, after he left, when she would cry, she could almost feel his arm around her shoulders, comforting her. She could almost hear him say, "It's okay, Kairi. I'm here, don't cry. I'm not leaving." But now ...

_His voice ... It's left me._

His prescence had left, and it was more than she could bear.

_**We pray for our sorrows to end,**_

_**and hope that our hearts will blend**_

She couldn't hold back the tears. They started to flow uncontrollably out of her. Try as she might, she couldn't stop them from coming. They blurred her view of the sea, which she had stared out upon every day for the year he had been gone. They smeared the azure sky that was painted above the sea before her, azure, the color of his eyes. The tears began to flow hearder, practically gushing from her eyes. She turned and burried her head in Selphie's shoulder and continued to sob, harder than she had ever sobbed before. She was letting it out ... all of it that had been bottled up inside for so long.

Selphie pulled Kairi into a friendly hug, trying desperately to comfort her. "Shh, Kairi, it's okay ..."

Kairi continued to cry for several minutes before she finally calmed down. She wiped the remaining tears from her face and smiled. "Thanks, Selph."

Selphie patted her friend on the back again and then stood. "You're welcome, Kai. Now, remember, if you ever need anything, I'm here for you, we all are. Me, Tidus, and Wakka ... yup! Need anything, and you can talk to us!"

Kairi sniffed and stood as well, towering a good two inches above Selphie. She gave her friend a quick hug and said, "I will. Thanks again."

"Don't mention it," Selphie said, and she walked off again.

Kairi turned to face the sparkling watters once more. The waves glowed in the setting sun as the sky grew darker. Though the tears had passed now, Kairi still thought of her two best friends as she stared out at the sea. It would never stop, the thoughts would just keep coming forever.

_"Kairi! Remember what you said before? I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you, I promise!"_

_"I know you will!"_

She remembered the last time she saw Sora, when he had said those words to her, and his hand had slipped away as the two landforms they were standing on grew further apart and the sea formed between them. They had moved farther and farther apart until he was no longer in view, which made her wonder if they were still moving, still growing far apart. Would it never end?

That night, the night that he had left her, the stars that had, over time, blinked out one by one, returned to the sky as the worlds they represented were restored. No more stars had blinked out since them. It was as if they had never gone away in the first place. They forever illuminated the night sky.

Kairi rubbed her eyes now, for she thought she saw a shooting star, which would be the first one she had seen since that night. Though she wasn't sure if her eyes were decieving her or not, she wished upon it. "I wish ..." she began, and she finished the rest in her head.

_**Now I step forward to realize this wish**_

It was the same wish, always the same wish.

_Bring them home, please. I don't know how much more of this I can stand before I have to ..._

She gulped.

_... before I have to let go._

Another voice rang out in her head to contradict the one that had just made the wish. _What are you saying?_ it screamed._ You love him! You can't let him go! He'll come back, he promised he would! Just give it some time._

"But I don't even know if he loves me," Kairi said to herself.

_Sure you do! Remember the drawing on the cave wall?_

Kairi remembered about what she had found in the cave that she and her friends called the Secret Place the night the island had been restored. On the cave wall was a drawing she had done of Sora's head across from a drawing he had done of her when they were little. Yet, that night, she discovered something different. Sora had drawn a hand reaching out from below his head, handing Kairi a star-shaped fruit. It was a paopu fruit.

_And you know the legend ..._

"But Riku might have drawn that because he thought it would be funny," Kairi said. "Riku was always doing stuff like that."

_You know in your heart what's true._

Kairi wanted to believe that Sora had drawn that. No, she knew it was his drawing. But then, why didn't he just come out and say it?

She shook her head. "It hurts too much."

_**And who knows**_

_**Starting a new journey may not be so hard...**_

"I'm killing myself from the inside by hanging on," she said, raising her voice a little. "It hurts, too much! You have to understand ... I-I have to ... even though it would hurt to, I ... I have to stop doing this to myself!"

_No, you can't! Listen to yourself! What would Sora say?_

"Sora wouldn't want me to suffer," she said, and then she gaped at herself. Had she really just said that? Where did that come from? Was that Sora talking just then?

_One more day, please! Give it one more day! Just one!_

_**...Or maybe it has already begun**_

Kairi sighed and stared into the waters below, into her own reflection, into her own eyes. "One more day," she said. "That's all my heart can take."

_He won't let you down, Kairi. You know him. You know he wouldn't break your heart like that._

"The longer he is away the more fragile my heart becomes," Kairi told herself. "Before, when he was near, his heart was with mine, protecting it, keeping it steady. I had no fear of my heart breaking because he was always there to keep it in tact. But now, he is gone," she said, and she put both of her hands on her heart, "and my heart is weak. He's left me. His voice, his prescence ... it's gone."

_He's not gone. He's always with you, too, remember?_

"I know that's what he said, but," she began, "that day, he also promised he would come back for me and ... and it's been a year already!" She stomped her foot. "I'm tired of waiting! I can't stand it any longer! And Riku isn't here either! I remember the days long ago when it was the three of us ... and now," she sighed again, "now it's just me. I'm alone."

_Alone? No, you have Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka, remember?_

"It isn't the same," Kairi said, shaking her head. "It is enough to keep me going but, it isn't the same. Oh, I just want things to be back the way they were."

She stared out across the ocean and the sky reflected in it one last time as the sun set behind the waters, leaving her in what would be complete darkness if it weren't for the light of the moon and the stars. Kairi was sure that Selphie and the others would have rowed home in their boats by now, and it was about time she did too. But for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes away from the sky. The horizon seemed to be glowing in the moonlight more beautifully than it ever had in the past. There was something different about it ... as if the water was also reflecting the feeling in her heart at this moment and not just the sky.

_**There are many worlds**_

_**But they share the same sky**_

The sky always reminded her of Sora. The sky was the same color as his eyes at midday. That azure blue color was comforting to her, maybe because staring at the sky was like staring into his eyes. But it wasn't just that. 'Sora' in Japanese meant 'sky'.

Coincidence? or destiny?

"The sky, though it was the same no matter what world I was in before, is different here," Kairi said, again to no one in particular.

_Maybe that's because it's his sky, the sky he is supposed to be seeing with me._

"One more day, Sora," she said, as if he could hear her. "One more day ... please, don't fail me now. I have faith in you."

_**One sky, one destiny.**_


	3. Don't Worry

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, or Final Fantasy Characters used, unfortunately ...**

**CHAPTER TWO: Don't Worry**

_"Sora ..."_

_"...Kairi?"_

_"Oh ... Sora ... please ..."_

_"Kairi! Is that you?"_

_"One more day ..."_

_"What are you talking about? Kairi? Kairi?"_

"Ow!" Sora awoke with a sharp pain in his chest and he bolted up into a seated position. "Ohh ..." he moaned, placing a hand over where the pain was, placing a hand over his heart.

_**I just can't believe it**_

_**How easily you slipped away**_

"You okay?"

Sora looked at the source of the voice, a silver-haired boy about a year older than he was who was sitting on a pile of rocks beside him. The boy was staring at Sora with piercing green eyes and a solemn countenace.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sora said as the pain subsided. _What was that all about?_ he thought. _I could have sworn I heard Kairi's voice. But that's impossible. I haven't heard her voice for so long._

_**After all that we've been through**_

_**I couldn't make you stay**_

The silver-haired boy's expression didn't change, and he continued to stare at Sora.

"Riku, I said I'm fine!" Sora shouted, getting to his feet and seating himself near Riku.

Riku raised one eyebrow and continued to stare at his friend. "Are you sure? You looked like you were having a seizure down there--"

"I'm fine already!" Sora shouted, cutting Riku's sentence short.

Riku cleared his throat and continued. "And you were talking in your sleep ... to Kairi."

Sora looked at him. He wished Riku would just learn to mind his own business. _Then again, he probably thinks the same thing about me._

"It's nothing," Sora said, turning away. "It ... it was just a dream anyway."

"Yes, but a dream about Kairi," Riku snapped. "Remember the last time you told me you had a dream about her?"

Sora sighed. How could he forget? The last time he had a dream about her was the night before he and Riku were taken hostage in their sleep by the last surviving member of the Thirteenth Order and his minions. He and Riku were seperated and Sora was chained up. They had captured Kairi, too, and threatened to kill her if Sora didn't comply.

_"We know what your weakness is, boy. She is your weakness. You will do anything for her, won't you? Heh, heh, how unfortunate. Now, surrender the Keyblade or we decapitate your prescious princess!"_

Sora, who had been enraged by this, summoned all the strenghth he had and broke free of his chains. With Kairi as his motivation, he defeated his enemy and won his freedom ...

_"Yes, she is my weakness, I admit it! But you have forgotten that she is also my strength!"_

... only to find that the Kairi they had threatened him with was not real. She was merely a hologram.

_**It's all just a blur now**_

_**Memories I don't want to forget**_

_**but hate to remember**_

It was that day that Sora truely understood how he felt for Kairi, how he would do anything for her, anything to save her, anything to help her, anything to keep her safe, andything to be with her, anything to get back to her, anything!

But where was Kairi, his weakness, his strength?

_**I miss spending my days with you**_

She was safe in Destiny Islands, where she belonged, and Sora knew that he belonged there with her. He desperately searched the quarters of the member of the Thirteenth Order that had held him hostage for a portal, a way to get home, for he had seen the ways of the Order. He had seen how they traveled from place to place by portal, and he was hoping, praying, that there was one nearby.

Alas, after all of that searching, he found a portal, but not one that would take him home. Instead, it took him to this dark, secluded cave beside the sea, where there was nothing but darkness, rocks, and sand. Here, he was re-united with Riku. Here, they would stay for longer than either one of them wished. Here, they still were.

It was just the two of them, and it had been for so long. Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and all of the others had left once their mission was complete, and now Sora and Riku travelled alone, searching for the door of light.

Searching ... waiting ...

But they hadn't found it yet. After all of that searching they still hadn't found it.

_"You are the one who will open the door ..."_

But how could he open the door if he had no door to open?

Sora was getting tired of looking, and he was sure Riku was, too. And what would happen when they found it? Would they be rewarded? Sora doubted it.

So what was the point?

_**Does your heart hurt as much as mine?**_

Riku chuckled, which brought Sora out of his trance. He turned to his friend and crossed his arms. "What's so funny?" Sora asked.

"Sora," Riku said matter-of-factly, "you have sand in your hair."

Sora shook his head and ran his fingers through his unruly brown hair to knock all of the sand out and then he turned back to Riku to ask, "Is it gone?" Riku only laughed harder. Sora jumped to his feet. "Oh, what now?"

"Your hair ..." Riku said between laughs, "...looks ... so bad ..."

The younger of the two, of course, could not see how badly he had messed up his already wild spikes on his head, and so of course he didn't think this was the least bit funny. In fact, it angered him. He stomped his foot, sending sand flying and shouted, "Shut UP, Riku! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He clenched his fists and held them tightly at his sides, breathing heavily.

Riku was silent, but he knew something was wrong, something that concerned matters more important than his hair. Matters like ...

"Is it Kairi?" the silver-haired boy asked his troubled friend.

Sora stared blankly at Riky for a moment, and then he quickly sat back down, but his elbows on his knees and burried his face in his hands. He was trying not to cry, he couldn't, especially in front of Riku, but ...

"Kairi ..." he moaned, gulping back the tears, trying to stay strong. He lifted his head and stared out upon the black waters. The sea here was so much different than the sea back home, the sea that Kairi was probably watching now.

_**I can't take much more of this**_

_**The distance between us isn't getting any smaller**_

"Sora, I'm sorry," Riku said, his voice more stern now, and he stared at the same ocean that Sora watched. Then, suddenly, he sighed and said, "I miss her too, but," he turned to Sora, "I know I don't miss her as much as you do."

Sora was silent, so Riku continued.

"I know how you feel about her."

The brunette turned to face his friend. "Is it really that obvious?"

Riku smiled and nodded. Then, seeing the sad look on Sora's face, he added, "Don't worry, we'll get home soon ..." He stopped there, though, for truthfully, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"You always say that," Sora began, getting to his feet. "Everyone always says that! But 'soon' has come and passed, Riku! And where are we? We're still not there! We're still not home!" He bent down, picked up a small rock, and threw it forcefully into the still watters. "I've been putting up with this for a year now, and frankly, I'm tired of it! I want to, no, need to go back!"

"Sora, calm down," Riku said, gesturing with his hands. He had never seen Sora act this way. "I know, I'm homesick too--"

"I'm not just homesick, Riku!" Sora said as he paced back and forth. "I need to be home, on Destiny Islands! I have people to see, promises to keep, words to say ... words that I have to say ..."

_Kairi ..._

"Sora, are you okay?" Riku was staring at his younger friend, who was standing completely still, his fists clenched, a blank expression on his face.

Suddenly, Sora began to tremble. He clenched his fists tighter and tighter and his muscles got stiff. His face turned bright red as anger built up inside of him. Rage burned in his blood, rage at himself, rage at all the lies he had ever heard, rage at the world.

_**I know I'm not helping by just sitting here**_

_**I realize not that losing you is my worst fear**_

"I want to go HOME! Damn it!" He shouted, kicking the sand with all of his power, covering himself in a cloud of debris. When the sand settled again, a wide-eyed Riku saw that his friend had fallen to his feet and was breathing heavily.

_**But don't worry**_

_**I'm coming back to you**_

_**I'll find a way to see this through**_

"Sora ..."

_**No matter what I have to do**_

"Please," Sora said to no one, "take me home. That's all I ask ... please."

_**I'm gonna get back home to you**_

_**Don't worry**_

Just then, a pilar of light appeared, hovering inches over the watter, filling the dark hollow with a warm glow, one that filled the two boys with a strange, unknown sensation. Sora looked up and watched as the pillar, which started off as a small stream in the air, grew wider and wider, stretching out in front of them, shining brighter and brighter as it expanded. Sora and Riku sheilded their eyes as the light grew unbearable to their sight. When the light dimmed enough that the two could look at it, they lowered their hands. Sora gasped. It looked strangely like--

"A door?" The boy stood so that he could get a better view. _Is it possible?_ he thought. _But, why now? Am I dreaming?_

_**I'm coming home to you**_

_**I'll break down the door if I have to**_

"The door ... to the light," Riku said. The he turned his head toward Sora and said, in a definite tone, "It's the door to the light, Sora." Then he added, seeing the shocked expression on the brunette's face, "And unless we're both having the same dream, it's real."

The Keybearer couldn't believe his eyes. A million thoughts were running through his mind at once, like _What, How?_ and _Why now?_ But the most important question of all, the one that had to be answered first, was _Where does it lead?_

Suddenly, he turned to the silver-haired boy and held out his hand. "Come with me!"

Riku hesitated for a minute, contemplating Sora's recent actions. His mind was teetering back and forth across the line of the thought that Sora was crazy, completely out of his freakin mind! But what did he have to lose?

_**Nothing stands between me and you**_

"Okay," Riku said, and he got to his feet.

The two boys faced the door to the light, unable to see what lay beyond it, but their hearts and their minds told them that they had to step through to the other side. It was, afterall, their destiny.

_**And when I dream of you at night**_

_**I'll come back home to you in flight**_

And so, without looking back at the terrible fate that had befallen them in the past, without once glancing at the dark hollow where they had been trapped for so long without a glimmer of hope, they stepped through the door and were engulfed in the light.

_**I'll fight for you with all my might**_

_**and when I step into the light ...**_

_Falling ... Falling ..._

(**A/N**: yeah, so that was chapter two, sorry bout the one cuss word, but this IS rated T, and it was just to show emotion. i promise, i dont cuss excessively, in fact, i dont normally cuss at all, so theres nothing to worry about really in next chapters. it was just for emotion and intensity.)


	4. There You Were

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, or Final Fantasy Characters used, unfortunately ...**

**CHAPTER THREE: There You Were**

_Falling ... falling ..._

_Into darkness ...?_

_Then ... why ... do I see light?_

_Sora? Riku?_

Kairi awoke with a start from her dream, looking around her dark room to make sure she was in the right place. It had been such a vivid dream, one that looked so real, but how could it be? And what was it about? She could have sworn she had seen her two best friends ... falling ... into what looked like darkness, eternal peril. But then she had seen it, the light, the emense light that had engulfed them at the last second. They had fallen out of the darkness and deep into the light, but she had seen no more after that.The light had ended her dream and awakened her to the darkness of her room. She sighed as once again her dreams of them being together had left her alone.

_**You've been gone so long**_

_**So many days**_

Kairi glanced over at a digital clock on her bedside table. It read 7:43 AM. Though this was a Sunday, meaning no school or work to attend to, Kairi thought it best to get an early start. After all, this was the last day ...

The girl pulled back her comforter and sheets and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Groggily, she made her way to her closet, opened it fiercly, and began rummaging through it for something "nice-but-not-too-fancy", or in other words "casual", to wear just in case this was the day. After a few moments of searching and many articles of clothing being thrown aside carelessly, she found a slim-fitting white cami to wear under a light pink hoodie with a matching pink skirt. She undressed and pulled these clothes on as quickly as she could in her state, and then hurried out of her room and downstairs to her small kitchen. She searched through her refridgerator for something to eat, but, finding nothing and realizing that she was just wasting time, she hurried out of the front door without another word.

_Come on, Kairi, can't you walk any faster? _she thought as she scurried along, power-walking her way to the docks, careful not to run so that she didn't look as desperate as she felt and actually was. Really, she was hoping that nobody would see her, for anyone that did would know where she was going instantly.

Of course, someone did see, and that someone, unfortunately for Kairi, was Selphie.

The peppy brunette had left her house at 7:45 to take her morning walk, alone, for some strange reason, for she was usually accompanied by her mother. She was on her way back to her house when she had noticed Kairi, in a hurry, as was the norm, to get to the beach. When Selphie was in the company of her mother, she was powerless to stop Kairi from heading to her obvious destination so that they could talk. But to day, as you know, was different. Today, nothing stood between her and a nice, long talk with her obviously desperate friend.

"Kairi, wait!"

Kairi was just about to untie her boat from the docks when she heard her name called. She knew instantly who it was that had called her, and she really wasn't in the mood to talk to Selphie, but it was not like Kairi to be rude, especially to a friend. So, plastering a fake smile on to her face, she turned toward Selphie.

"Hey, Selph ..." she began, but she was cut short by her friend.

"And where are you going at this hour in such a hurry?" Selphie said, putting her hands on her hips.

"To the beach," Kairi said, wondering why Selphie had asked because Kairi was sure she knew.

Selphie rolled her eyes. "As usual ... look, Kairi--"

"No, not as usual, Selphie!" Kairi interrupted, raising her voice slightly. Then she hesitated to tell her friend why this was not "usual", for the thought still pained the poor girl. "T-today i-is the l-ast d-day," she stammered, choking back her tears. _Stay strong, Kairi. This is what you have to do, remember?_

Selphie was shocked. _Did I just hear what I think I heard?_ she thought. "The last day? The last? Kai, are you sure?"

Kairi held her head up and forced the tears back, not letting them show. She had to prove that she was strong, if not to Selphie, then to herself. She had already cried enough. With an emotionless face, Kairi nodded.

_**I've learned to love you**_

_**in so many ways**_

Selphie was completely blown away. Kairi was finally letting go of her past and facing the future, and she, Tidus, and Wakka had been trying to convince her to do for so long. She was finally standing on her own two feet and facing the future like a mature young woman ... or at least, thats what Selphie wanted to believe. Could the truth have been that Kairi was really weak because she was losing faith in her friends? Was Kairi giving up? The normally bubbly, talkative young girl was utterly speechless. All she could manage to say was, "Oh."

Kairi nodded again and turned back to her boat and began fidgeting with the knot. "Yeah, Selph, and that's why I have to get down to the beach. I have to make sure I don't miss anything! What if they come and I'm not there? I have to get down there now!"

"Wait just a minute, Kairi!" Selphie grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her away from her work. She yanked Kairi into a position so that they were facing one another and were awkwardly close. However, as Kairi's expression remained that of any confused teenage girl, Selphie just smiled. "What are you going to miss, huh Kairi? Do you think that they are going to come here and leave if they don't see you? No, of course they wouldn't do that!"

_**But deep in the dark I have to stay**_

"But, but--" Kairi stammered, trying to argue.

"Shh!" Selphie said, silencing her. "You didn't let me finish. Now, because you and I both know Sora and Riku wouldn't do anything like that, you couldn't possibly pass up the chance to have breakfast with me, my treat, now could you?" When Kairi didn't answer, Selphie said again, "Could you?"

Kairi sighed, and then smiled weakly, realizing the pointlessness in arguing with her friend. Reluctantly, she nodded, and was instantly whisked away to the nearby coffee house for food.

Within 30 minutes, the two girls had finished off two cups of coffee and a cream-filled pastry each. Kairi, feeling that she had stayed much longer than she needed to, thanked Selphie for the food and got up to leave, but was stopped at the last minute by a groggy Tidus and a drowsy Wakka, who punctually stumbled into the coffee house to order something to drink. Fifteen minutes later, Kairi was once again seated beside Selphie, and the two had been joined by their guy friends who were still trying to wake up. Once Tidus and Wakka were up, Selphie decided it would be a great time to start a conversation about ever-changing random subjects, as usual, such as the color yellow, fashion tips, and the hair-do on the person sitting behind Wakka. Tidus and Wakka joined in on the conversation, adding their own bits and pieces, and Kairi found herself trapped. Since there was no way out, she had decided to give in and join in.

Kairi didn't check the time again until it was nearly noon. Her eyes widened. _How could I have wasted so much time? _she thought. _What if they're here? What if they're looking for me? I have to get out of here!_ She immidiately rose to her feet, catching the attention of her three friends. They all stared at her as she dusted off her skirt and bowed to Selphie several quick times.

"Thank you for buying me breakfast, Selphie!" she blurted out as she weaved through the occupied chairs that surrounded her. "I'm sorry, but I -- ow! -- really have to get going!"

"Kai--" Selphie began, but then she, too, glanced at the time, and gasped. She lifted her head once more to make eye contact with Kairi, and then she nodded.

Kairi interperated this as a signal to go for it and she bolted toward the door, toward freedom, _and hopefully_, she thought, _toward Sora._

"Wait up, Kai!" Wakka called after the girl, a little unsure of what was going on.

"Kai! Kairi!" Tidus bellowed, but the girl paid no attention to them. She sped through the doors and raced down the street toward the dock, frankly, not giving a damn what people thought of her. All she could think about was getting to the small island where they used to play, where she could watch and wait.

"Guys, it's okay. Let her go," Selphie told them.

The two boys turned to the brunette, eyeing her questioningly. But it was the look that she gave them in reply that told them everything. Instantly, they realized where she was going and what she was going through, all by the mixture of sadness and joy in Selphie's expression. They sighed, for they knew that they couldn't go after her, no matter what, not today.

_**Because it's so hard when you're far away**_

_**meanwhile ...**_

Kairi secured her row boat to the dock on the small island where they used to play, turning quickly afterward to face the open waters before her. They were as blue as ever in the blazing noontime sun, and the brilliant sparkles in the brine further inhanced the beauty of the endless sky reflected in it. Kairi searched these breathtaking waters and skies for several moments, but Sora and Riku were nowhere to be found. There were no streaks in the sky besides those of the clouds that shaded the lands from the sun, no ripples in the water besides that of the waves lapping upon the shore, and no footprints in the sand besides those that were her own. Nothing had disturbed the peace of this island.

The girl sighed, partly out of disappointment, yet partly out of relief that she hadn't missed anything.

_**I prayed to God last night for something more**_

_**I prayed that you would somehow show up at my door**_

_But, do I really expect them to come? Surely not, after everything I've been through._

This thought shocked Kairi, for she did not expect it to suddenly arise in her head. She carelessly shook this thought away, as if it meant nothing, as if it were insignificant, but really, it wasn't. Instead of dwelling on these strangely important thoughts, Kairi sat at the edge of the dock and dangled her feet over the edge, gently caressing the surface of the water with her toes as her legs swung back and forth. Just like the crests of the ripples formed drifted farther and farther apart, her thoughts drifted far away, to thoughts of Sora and Riku, and where they were, and why they were wasting so much time ...

_**Heartbreaks are poison, just like the pain**_

_**and when you're down, it only starts to rain**_

Time flew by as fast as the gulls flew overhead, and before she knew it, nightfall was fast approaching. Kairi's heart was beating faster and faster with anxiety as she continuously scanned the horizon for any sign of her beloved friends. She nervously fidgeted and pushed her red-violet locks behind her ears, wondering where they were.

_Where are they? Where could they possibly be?_

Suddenly, Kairi felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped in surprise and turned around to see that it was none other than Selphie, who was sporting a worried expression. "Kairi," she said in a depressing tone, "it's almost nightfall. I ... I think it's about time ... you ... ya know ..."

Kairi's heart dropped. _No ... please ... it went by too fast._ But it was really that time ... already ... the time to leave and go home for the evening. She sighed heavily and said, almost too quietly to hear, "Yeah, I-I know ... I-I'm c-coming ..."

_**It floods, and you start drowning in your tears**_

_**How do we stay afloat throught the hard years**_

Selphie smiled weakly, turned on her heel, and left as soon as she could, so that she could leave Kairi in peace. She was sure that any misplaced word said now would set off an emotional breakdown on Kairi's part, and Selphie wanted to avoid that by all means. So, without looking back, the brunette boarded her rowboat and made her way home.

Kairi, on the other hand, had barely moved an inch. She was standing now, but she was still staring at the same sea, now reflecting the beautiful pastel colors of the sunset. Though her face showed no emotion, deep inside, Kairi was grieving. After all of that waiting, they hadn't returned. After everything they had been through together, Sora's promise hadn't been kept. After all of this, her sacrifices had meant nothing.

At that moment, as Kairi gazed out upon the horizon, she thought she saw two shooting stars ... not one, but two. _But my eyes could just be decieving me,_ she thought, _just like they did last time when I wished for their return._ But something inside Kairi compelled her to wish again, for her own sake, if for no one else's. So as Kairi watched the stars continue to fall together in the sky, she wished aloud. Her wish was no more than words from her heart that just had to be said.

_**But I pulled through those times**_

_**All the rainy days**_

_But did I really expect them to come?_

"Please," she said with a gulp as her vision became blurry with tears, "I wish again for Sora and Riku, but unlike those other selfish wishes where I wanted nothing more than the two of them to be brought back to me, I am wishing for something more. I am wishing now for my words to reach them, these words that I am speaking now from my heart." She paused here as a single tear rolled down her cheek, glistening in the setting sun and falling with a _plop_ against the wood boards of the dock. She shuffled her feet ever so slowly as she made her way down from the dock to the shore and let the waves wash over her feet, so that as more tears fell, they were carried away in the tide. Then she continued. "Please, oh shooting star, let them know how I feel. Let them know how much they have let me down ... after all the good times, the bad, and the promises that were made. Let them know how much they have let everyone else down, their friends who waited patiently for their speedy return for over a year. But most importantly of all, let them know how they have hurt me with thier lies. They promised to return to us, to me, promised us all that everything was going to be okay but ... but everything is far from okay! Nothing ... nothing is okay anymore." Kairi held her head high again, as if proud of the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks. "And so," she finished, "with this wish, I end my wait. I will no longer watch the ocean in ... in high hopes that ... somehow ... someway ... they will appear for me, for they have not, after so long a wait. With this wish ... I ... I ..." Kairi briefly placed her hand over her heart, and then sat it back at her side. Tears streamed at a constant rate now, and her cheeks were wet. Yet her countenance was unwavering, and she showed immense courage as she stood there, still but dignified. Then, with one swift movement, the princess of heart turned her back to the ocean -- forever. "... I give up."

_**Because my heart was mended**_

_**When I saw your face**_

_Yes ... I did!_

Instantly, her heart shattered into a million pieces.

Kairi could no longer controll her emotions. Every tear that she had been holding back all this time came pouring from her eyes, drenching her face and shirt. Her vision was completely blurred, and she could see nothing past her own pain and misery. Sadness flooded her soul as each teardrop landed with a deafening splash upon the sand ... well, the first two, anyway. After the first two drops, the rest came raining down upon the ground like a thunderstorm. The sounds of her uncontrollable wails would break any heart within earshot, for they radiated her emotions throughout the air. She cringed in sorrow, anguish and pain. She began to grow weak in the knees as every bone in her body trembled. She felt as if she were dying ... no, she was dying. The pain was just too unbearable. The crumbs that remained of her heart were too heavy, and her legs gave way.

_Kairi!_

But before Kairi could fall to the ground, she felt a hand grab ahold of her arm, just barely holding her up. Kairi, though her heart seemed like it was no more, somehow mustered the strength to support herself so that she could turn her head and feast her weary eyes upon those of her rescuer.

There they were, piercing green, unlike any other color ever seen before. Piercing green -- the color of the eyes upon which her gaze was now, eyes that told tales of sorrow and hope, a never-ending struggle with darkness and light. They were wise eyes that portrayed a life of pain, and suffering, and sin ... and yet, despite all of that, a life of forgiveness and second chances. They were strange, mysterious eyes that were set back into a handsome, yet angular, face framed by long, sleek silver hair. They were the eyes that belonged to the long-lost --

"Riku ..." Kairi said softly, half asking her rescuer if it was really him.

But it was, it really was him, and she could feel it in the shattered pieces of her heart that it was. He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded, before pulling her up into a protective embrace. Somehow, Kairi regained the strength to stand, and she wrapped her arms around Riku's neck, running her fingers through his hair, as if she did not completely believe in his existance quite yet. But there he was, holding her, lifting her to her feet with his muscular arms, and restoring her strength.

_**There you were**_

_**Behind me waiting**_

Kairi broke away from the embrace so that she could get a better look at her friend. Besides the fact that his muscles were bigger, he was at least 6 feet tall, and his wardrobe was more simplistic, he was the same, wise, bossy, protective, kind Riku that she had always known. She smiled, really smiled, for the first time in what seemed like ages, and he returned it.

"I just can't believe it," Kairi said as one tiny tear of joy trickled down her nose and dropped off the tip. "Here I was ... giving up and ... there you are!" She ran and threw her arms around him again. Riku picked her up and swung her around once in the embrace before setting her back down and pulling away.

"Careful," he said with a chuckle. 'I'm soaking wet."

Kairi giggled at his even deeper, more manly new voice and stared into his eyes again, completely forgetting the world around her for a moment. One of her best friends had returned after so long and was standing right in front of her! This had to be the best day of her life! "Oh, my God, it's really you!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Riku only smiled wider at her reaction. "I'm as surprised to be here as you are to see me here, Kairi ..."

Kairi ran and threw her arms around him one more time, squeezing him tightly before quickly pulling away at the thought of something even more important than this precious moment ...

The 5 foot 6 inch girl stared into her silver-haired friend's eyes, her own expressing concern, and asked, dreading the answer, "Where's Sora?"

At first, Riku didn't respond. His smile had faded, and he was staring blankly into Kairi's eyes. Kairi's heart was beating fast. _Does this mean something bad happened to him?_ she thought. _Oh, please, oh, please, no!_ She could feel her lip trembling as she dreaded the worst, her eyes growing wider and wider each second. But then, a smile re-appeared on her best friend's face, and he slowly stepped out of the way to reveal the waters behind him.

_**There you were**_

_**Smile unfading**_

There, standing ankle-deep in the water, was a boy of about 5' 9" dressed all in black, save the silver crown chain that hung around his neck. His hair was chocolate brown and sat in unruly natural spikes on top of his head, sticking out in every direction. He was currently standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, staring at his oversized black-and-yellow shoes as he shook his own head, trying to knock out the water. He didn't seem to notice what was going on until --

"Sora?"

The boy stopped what he was doing and slowly raised his head, until he was gazing straight into Kairi's eyes, who was now standing very close to him. They just stood there for a moment while Kairi studied his face. It looked pretty much the same. Of course, it had aged a bit, but his eyes were still the same. They were still as clear, azure blue as the skies on the islands, and they told stories of anxiety, passion, love, motivation, and determination. They were certainly the windows to his soul, but their beauty was different than that of any other pair of eyes. They showed compassion, always, even to their enemies, for there was always a glint of his loved ones in them. That is what made them beautiful. That is what made them undoubtedly Sora's.

_**And there you were, when I turned around**_

_**There you were, the sun was shining down**_

Kairi pounced on Sora and threw her arms around him, causing him to sway a little and nearly knocking him off balance. Sora hugged her back, embracing her warmly and gently and resting the side of his face against hers. Then Kairi slowly pulled away so that they could look into each others eyes. She ran her fingers gently along the contours of his face and asked, as more tears of joy streamed down her cheeks, "Is it ... really you?"

_**There you were, to sooth all my fears**_

Sora could only smile his goofy, trademark smile as he stroked the side of her face with his hand. "Yes, Kairi," he replied in his new, deeper voice. "It's me ... I'm real ... I'm here."

As soon as Kairi heard those words, she threw herself back into his warm, strong arms again, and they rested there in each others' embrace. Kairi burried her face in his shoulder and cried tears of joy as Sora held back his own tears. They both breathed a heavy sigh of relief: he, that he was finally home, and she, that she was finally safe in his embrace. They closed their eyes and, for a moment, observed nothing but the feel of each other in their loving arms as they stood there, completely still, as two intertwined souls finally reunited, finally, after far too long.

Instantly, her heart was mended.

Kairi pulled her head out of Sora's shoulder and he, seing the tears on her face, wiped them away with his thumb, saying, "Shh, Kairi, it's okay. Everything is going to be alright now, I promise."

The girl nodded and smiled, for she knew that she could trust in Sora to keep his promise.

_**and take away my tears**_

Meanwhile, Riku watched this happy reunion from a few feet away, as the two others stood oblivious to his prescence. In looking at them and their happiness, he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy in his heart. But he knew, that despite how much he cared of Kairi, he couldn't interfere. These two teens had fought for and saved each other in many more ways than one, and they were meant to be together. They were inseperable, and so try as he might, he could never break them apart. So why even try? Riku smiled at their happiness now, knowing that he had helped bring that smile to their faces, and knowing that he would and could do anything in his power to keep them together. That was all the satisfaction he needed.

"Hey, Riku!"

Riku snapped out of the trance he had fallen into while watching them and saw that Sora and Kairi were now standing side-by-side. One of each of their arms was wrapped around each others' shoulders, and they were using their free arm to wave at Riku, gesturing for him to come and join them. Riku walked down to meet them, and he got into the same position as them so that they were all three huddled together, bright smiles on their faces.

_**and take away my tears**_

They were the inseperable trio, united unstoppable, and divided, still strong. They had been seperated for so long, but their destinies had brought them together again. So there they stood, the Keybearer, the Vessel, and the Princess of Heart, best friends forever, reunited at last.

(**A/N**: Okaaayyy, so that was chapter three, really long, I know, because I had to get in all the fluffy detail about an emotional reuniting scene between the three of them and junk, yeah, so, please review ... please!)


	5. I'd Rather Be In Love

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, or Final Fantasy Characters used, unfortunately ... that would be really, really, really cool if I did ...**

**CHAPTER FOUR: I'd Rather Be in Love**

As night fell upon the islands, Kari, Sora, and Riku returned home slowly, talking about all that had happened over the year that they had been seperated. Riku and Sora told Kairi of the exact events that had occured the day they had been seperated, and how they had been searching for the door to the light and a way to return home. In the end, the door had been their way out of the darkness and into the sun, their way home to her.

Kairi told them of what had happened once the Islands had returned to normal, and what had become of them. She told them of how everyday she had thought of them and awaited their return. She told them of their friends at school and Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka, especially. But she also had news of their families, and the good and bad things that had occured while they were away.

Riku had nothing to worry about as far as family matters went, she told them. Both of his parents had returned to the island safely, but without a clue about what had happened to them after the islands were destroyed. Sora, on the other hand, had only one parent to return to. His mother had returned unscathed but his father was nowhere to be found. Both boy's parents had often questioned her on Riku and Sora's wherabouts, and she had replied every time with a sigh and an expression that said, "Honestly, I don't know."

"I'm sorry, Sora ... about your dad," she said, staring at her feet as she walked.

Sora sighed, but replied with an, "It's okay. I mean, of course I'm sad, but, I never really got along with my father, ya know? Besides, I'm finally home! And I'll get to see all my old friends tomorrow at school! I'm as happy as ever, and what more could I ask for?" He smiled at Kairi and she returned the favor.

For once in their lives, the three reunited heroes were happy. There were no more heartless, no more keyholes, no more lonely days to worry about. They had each other and were safe from everything that inhabited outside worlds. There was nothing to worry about, as far as they were concerned.

"What about you, Kai? Where have you been staying?" Riku asked.

Kairi had not had any parents on Destiny Islands. She had lived with the mayor, who had taken her in as a daughter. But when the Islands were restored, the mayor had not returned. With the help of her friends on the main island, she had straightened up the mayor's old home and was now living in it, completely alone. She had taken on a part-time job at the library where she worked Wednesday through Saturday, mostly just returning books to the shelves. Sora's mother had been kind enough to look after her at times, but now that Sora was back, she wasn't sure what was going to happen.

"You know, you could just stay with one of us now," Riku told her, glancing at Sora.

"Yeah," Sora said. "My mom wouldn't care, and I'm sure Riku's parents wouldn't either."

Kairi smiled, appreciating the offer, but then she shook her head. "No thanks, guys. I've kind of gotten used to living by myself. Besides, after I graduate, I won't have anything to worry about, since I already have a place, right?"

"Never thought about it that way," Sora said, scratching the back of his head as he thought about this concept. Then, he suddenly froze as they approached his front door.

"You're home," Kairi said to him quietly.

"It's you're house," Riku said, pushing Sora forward. "Go in, already!"

"But, my mom ..." Sora began, wondering how his mother would react to his sudden arrival. But he quickly shook off all of these thoughts and turned to give his two best friends a smile. "Wish me luck!" Then he spun back around, opened the door, and stepped inside.

A few moments later, sounds of screams could be heard from inside the house, followed by hysterical laughter, coming from Sora's mother. Riku and Kairi both laughed and continued on until they got to Kairi's house.

"Well, goodnight," she told Riku, and opened her door. Then, as she stepped inside, she turned and added, "Don't freak your parents out too much, okay?"

Riku smiled and nodded. "Don't worry about me," he said. "See ya tomorrow at school, I guess ..." _School? Wow, after a year ..._

Kairi returned the smile. "'Bye," she said again, and she closed her door to turn in for the night.

_**I cannot help it**_

_**I couldn't stop it if I tried**_

_**The same old heartbeat**_

_**Fills the emptiness I have inside**_

_"Sooorrraaa ... Sooooorrraaaaa ... Wake up Soooorrrraaaaa ..."_

"Mom ... just a few more minutes ..." Sora said, turning over in his bed and burying his face in his pillow, swatting away the hand that was gently shaking him.

"Mom? What are you talking about?"

Sora turned his head and slowly opened one eye so that he could see who it was that was waking him up, and found himself face to face with--

"Kairi?" he asked groggily, still not completely sure of his surroundings. He lifted his head a little more. Soon, his vision was clear, and he realized that it was Kairi that was staring him in the face. He jumped and hid himself beneath his covers. "Ahhh! Kairi! What the heck are you doing in my room?"

Kairi laughed and pulled the sheets down over his head. "Sora, you haven't changed one bit. You're still the same lazy bum that you used to be. Now get up!" She lowered her head so that it was level with his. You're gonna be late for your first day back ..." she whispered in his ear. Then she giggled and stepped back as he sat upright and rubbed his eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Sora said, using one hand to shoo Kairi away. "Now go away so I can get dressed! Gosh, talk about an invasion of personal space!"

"Gladly." Kairi smiled and turned to leave, but she stopped to linger in the doorway as she added, "And hurry up! Riku's waiting downstairs!" With that, she left the room.

Kairi made her way slowly down the stairs that led up to Sora's room and met Riku, who was waiting with his backpack on his shoulders at the bottom. With a sigh, the impatient Riku asked,"Is he ready to go yet?"

The girl laughed. "Are you kidding me? I just woke him up!"

Riku shook his head. "Some things never change," he said, referring to Sora's laziness.

A few moments later, the "lazy bum" came running out of his room with his bag, crashing into the wall opposite his door. As he pushed himself away from the wall he had just crashed into, he lost his balance and fell backwards onto his backpack. Immediately, he tried to roll off of his bag, and began to tumble sideways down the stairs. Halfway down, he began to turn and started summersaulting down the last few steps. He finally came to a stop, sprawled out on his stomach on the floor in front of Kairi. Sora lifted his head and smiled innocently at her, stating confidently, "I'm ready to go!"

Kairi laughed, but Riku just rolled his eyes. He marched in front of Kairi, reached over, and yanked Sora to his feet by his backpack. Sora was truely a sight to see-- his hair was a mess, his black shirt was on crooked, and his shoes were on the wrong feet, but none of that mattered. They would surely be late to school if they loitered any longer.

So the three teens grabbed their things and raced down the road to Destiny Islands HS.

The school day went by quickly. It started off with Riku and Sora recieving their schedules and locker combinations, and then Sora hopping in late to class shouting, "Why didn't you tell me my shoes were on the wrong feet?" It was full of plenty of girls like Selphie shrieking in joy and exclaiming, "Oh my God! Look! It's Riku and Sora!", boys like Tidus saying, "Hey, Sora. Hey, Riku. Took you long enough!", and guys like Wakka shouting, "Hey, Riku! Sora! What's happenin'? What ya been up to?" And it ended with Sora being chased out the front doors by a gaggle of screaming fans and their "girly obsessions", and Riku and Kairi just watching, laughing harder than they ever had before at the sight of it.

Later that afternoon, after the mob of girls that was chasing Sora had been shaken off, the three best friends sat idly on the paopu tree, staring off into the distance, and talking of their many journeys, telling tales of the worlds they had visited and the people they had met along the way, laughing and smiling together.

"Just like old times," Kairi said with a sigh, grinning and staring off at the horizon.

"Huh?" Sora said, turning his head to look at her. "Did you say something, Kai?"

"Hmm?" Kairi hadn't realized she'd said that out loud. She looked Sora in the eye and just shook her head. "No, nothing." Then, as an awkward silence befell them, and Sora and Kairi just stared at each other blankly, Kairi decided that she was uncomfortable and stood up. "I'm going to go look for shells. I never finished that Thalassa necklace, you know," she said, and she began to walk away.

"Okay, see ya, Kairi," Sora called as she walked off, and he watched her go. Meanwhile, Riku, who had been leaning against the trunk of the tree, placed his hands behind him and pushed himself up so that he was now sitting beside Sora. He looked at Sora, or rather, the back of his head, and smiled.

"I've been thinking," Riku began, causing Sora to snap out of his daze and turn to face his friend. Riku then continued. "You and Kairi have been best friends for a long time. You love her, and I'm pretty sure she loves you. So why not take it to the next level?"

Sora's eyes grew wide. "Ask her out?" he blurted out. "You're not serious, are you?"

Riku was shocked. He hadn't expected Sora to act this way. Actually, he had expected Sora to jump on the idea like he had been thinking the same thing all along. Riku just shrugged. "Why not?"

_**And I've heard that you can't fight love**_

_**So I won't complain**_

Sora shook his head in disagreement. "No way! I couldn't do that! That is a bad idea, Riku, a bad idea."

"No, it's not!" Riku protested. "I mean, c'mon! I've seen the way you two look at each other! I know how you two feel! There couldn't be a more perfect match!" He slapped Sora on the back of the head. "Now, quit being stupid and ask her out!"

Sora rubbed the back of his head. _Oww, that really hurt._ But he didn't say anything. Riku's last words were still fresh in his mind, echoing over and over again in his head. _'Quit being stupid' ... maybe I am being stupid. Maybe I should ask her out ... I mean, I really want to ..._ He turned his head and his eye caught Kairi, who was stringing together the shells she had found as she paced the shore. _I really, really want to ... _Then the boy shook his head. "No, I can't. I want to, but I can't."

"And why not?" Riku asked.

"Because," Sora said, turning back to face Riku, "what if I did ask her, and she turned me down? Things would just be so ... awkward between us after that. And if agreed, I'm sure we would break up eventually. Then ... then, it would never be the same between us."

_**'Cause why would I stop the fight**_

_**that keeps me going on?**_

"What if she agrees and you don't break up?" said the boy with silver hair.

Sora glanced off at an angle, averting his eyes from Riku. "What if I had to go away again? I can't ... I can't break her heart like that." He paused for a minute, and then he looked back up at Riku. "Besides, I don't even know if she feels the same way about me."

_**'Cause when there's you I feel whole**_

_**and there's no better feeling in the world**_

_**But without you, I'm alone**_

Riku opened his mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it when no words came. Sora, for some reason, had his heart set on making an excuse not to be with Kairi, no matter how much he wanted to. There had to be something, someway, that could convince him of her feelings and completely change the boy's mind. Then it came to him, instantly, like a bolt of lightning. He had remembered something he had seen, only a few hours earlier, after school had ended ...

"Hey, Sora," Riku said, "remember the Secret Place?"

Sora shrugged and said, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Maybe you should go check it out," Riku suggested. "Ya know, take your mind off things. Those old drawings are always good for a laugh."

Sora looked behind him and saw, in the distance, the entrance to the old cave that they called the Secret Place. The entrance was hidden by vines, even more than had been there the last time he had entered. The boy chuckled. "Yeah, good for a laugh," he said. _Maybe Riku's right,_ Sora thought. _Yeah, it probably would help me take my mind off things._ And with that, he stood up and headed toward the Secret Place.

Riku watched Sora leave, and as soon as the brunette had parted the vines and stepped through, he too stood. He saw Kairi in the distance and smiled, thinking, _One down, one to go._

"Hey, Kairi ..."

_**And I'd rather be in love with you**_

Sora made his way through the entrance to the Secret place and down the long, winding tunnel to the cave. Soon, though, he reached the cave, which was lit only by the light pouring in from a hole in the roof of the cave. The walls of the cave were covered in numerous chalk drawings that had been put there when Sora and his friends were young. There were drawings that Sora realized now looked a lot like the things he had seen on his journey to other worlds and the people he had met. _That's weird_, he thought. He ran his hand along the wall of the cave as he walked, examining the drawings one by one, wondering what the artist was thinking when they were drawn. Then his eye fell upon one curious drawing near the floor of the cave.

The drawing was one that he and Kairi had completed together when they were little. He had drawn Kairi's head, and she had drawn his head. Before the island had been destroyed, though, Sora had added something, something he hoped no one had seen. He had drawn an arm, stretching from under the drawing of his head to the drawing of Kairi's, with a hand at the end, clutching a star-shaped item, a paopu fruit. The part he had added symbolized his feelings for Kairi. Yet, as he stared at the drawing now, he realized that there was something else there, as well. He crouched down so that the drawing was level with his face, in order to see it more clearly.

_**Turn out the lights now**_

_**To see is to believe**_

Yes, something else was there ...

Stretching from under the portrait of Kairi's head was a mirror image of what Sora had added to the drawing. It was Kairi's arm, returning the fruit, sharing with him as well. Sora's mouth fell open as he observed this. _Kairi added this,_ he thought. _But ... that means ... she feals the same way!_

Then it dawned on him why Riku had told him to come here. Riku had seen this! Riku knew everything! This was all part of Riku's plan to get them together ... and it had worked. Sora felt more confident now than he ever had that Kairi, indeed, loved him back. It was all clear to him now! He couldn't keep his feelings from her any longer.

The only problem was how to tell her.

Then he remembered something else. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, star-shaped charm with a face carved into it, made from shells. It was Kairi's lucky charm, the one he had promised to return to her.

_Well, I have to give this back to you anyway, Kairi._

"But ... but ..." Kairi stuttered, gaping at Riku.

"It's like I said, Kairi," Riku explained. "You love him, he loves you, so naturally, you two need to be together!"

Kairi closed her mouth and shook her head. "But, I can't, I can't do that!"

The boy groaned. "Why are you two so stubborn?" he asked rhetorrically. Then he stood and began to walk away, but added before he left the girl alone, "Just, take some time to think about it, but sooner or later you'll realize I'm right."

As Riku walked away, a stunned Kairi just sat there, staring blankly at the necklace she had just completed. _That was ... awkward ..._ she said, referring to the talk she and Riku had just had. _But, maybe he is right. I ... I do need to think about it ... a lot ..._

The girl stood and made her way to the paopu tree, shoving her necklace into the pocket on her sweatshirt. She took a seat on the trunk of the tree and stared out at the horizon, as she often did when she had nothing better to do, dangling her feet carelessly below her. Then, all of the sudden, something bounced off of her head and fell into her lap.

"Oww!" Kairi exclaimed, rubbing her head. "What the heck was that?" Then she looked down at the item that had fallen in her lap and picked it up. It was a paopu fruit. _Well, duh, I mean, I'm sitting on a paopu tree. It's not like it could have been anything else, right?_ Then, as she stared at the item, thoughts began to swim through her head ...

Meanwhile, Sora had spotted her on the trunk of the tree and was now standing a few feet behind her, just staring, his heart racing, thinking about how to talk to her. But one thing was certain: it had to be done. He took a deep breath and, slowly, began to approach her.

_**I just want you near me**_

_**I just want you here with me**_

Kairi saw out of the corner of her eye that he was coming up behind her, a curious look on his face, and helf up the fruit so that he could see what was in her hands. "You know," Sora heard her say, "I always wanted ... to share want of these with you before ... you know, to see if the legend was true ... since you're my best friend and all. But now ..."

"But now what?" Sora asked, sitting himself beside her on the tree trunk. The way she had said those last words were causing him to doubt himself again. _What does she mean by that?_ He stared at her, but she kept her gaze on the fruit.

_**And I'd give up everything **_

_**Only for you**_

"Its just that, the legend says that when two people share one, their destinies become intertwined," she said, turning the fruit over nervously in her hands. "Aren't we ... aren't we already like that?"

Sora cocked his head to one side. He hadn't considered that before, but come to think of it, she was right. "You're right," he told her. "We are .. aren't we?"

Kairi nodded, and she held up the paopu fruit. "The kind of bond a paopu fruit could give you isn't ... real, you know what i mean. The one that we have ..." She turned to face Sora, and they looked deep into each others' eyes. "The one that we have was formed from our friendship and when ... when your heart protected mine ... our hearts were one." There was an awkward silence here, and she stared back at the paopu fruit. "Th-that kind of bond means so much more than one a fruit can give you." She raised the fruit up and behind her head, like she was going to toss it into the ocean, but as she brought her hand down, Sora grabbed her wrist, stopping her action.

"Wait!"

Kairi looked at him curiously, but Sora just smiled and brought her arm closer to him. Keeping his eyes on hers, he gently took the fruit from her, saying, "What if I asked you to share one with me anyway?"

Kairi blinked several times before she said, "Are you ... s-serious?"

Sora just grinned wider and said, "Yes, I'm serious." Then he placed Kairi's hand back on the fruit so that they were both grasping half of it. "Will you?"

_**It's the least that I could do**_

Kairi didn't know what to say at first, but then she smiled and said, "Sure."

The two of them both pulled on the fruit at the same time, breaking it in half, splitting it right down the middle. Then they shot nervous glances at each other before deciding what to do. They both held the fruit in front of each others' faces and, after a moment of hesitation, took a bite. As they chewed and swallowed the bit of paopu in their mouths, they looked at each other, half expecting something magical to happen, but nothing changed. Before long, they had finished off the entire fruit.

"Well?" Sora asked Kairi, thinking that maybe she had felt something he didn't.

"Well ... it's sweet," she said, unable to come up with anything better to say. "The flavor is sweet, I mean."

"I guess you were right then," Sora said with a shrug. "Nothing happened because we are already connected; our destinies are already intertwined."

_**'Cause when there's you I feel whole**_

_**And there's no better feeling in the world**_

Kairi nodded in agreement and smiled at her best friend. Sora returned the smile with his own, goofy version. Then, he remembered.

"Oh, Kairi, I have something for you," Sora said, and he dug into his pocket. Then he drew out a small, star-shaped item: Kairi's lucky charm. He stretched his hand out and offered it to her.

Kairi gasped and took it from him slowly. "My ... my lucky charm!" She looked into Sora's eyes. Her own eyes sparkled with joy and amazement. Obviously, this charm meant a lot to her. "Thank you so much!"

Sora blushed and scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry I forgot to give it to you earlier. But ... I promised I would return it and ... and I did! There you go!"

Before he knew it, Kairi had thrown her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. He hugged her back for a moment, and then she pulled away, facing him once more. She flashed him another dazzling smile before sighing heavily, her smile fading. Sora looked at her with a worried expression on his face. Her mood had changed so quickly. He asked, "Kairi? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing," she lied, and then she sighed again. "Oh, okay, I'll admit, I'm angry with myself."

"For what?" Sora asked. What sort of grudge could she have against herself?

Kairi turned her head, taking on a different view. "Before you came back, I sat out here, every day, just looking at the ocean. Every spare moment i had was spent here, waiting for you. When I would come here and find that you hadn't come back, I began to doubt you. In fact, I just about gave up on you alltogether. I felt stupid for ever believing you." She looked down at the charm in her hand and smiled. "Now, I look at this charm, and I remember those promises you made, just like the promise to return the charm. You kept your promises, every last one of them. You never failed me, Sora. You came back." Suddenly, she fell silent, and she just kept her eyes fixed on the charm. The face she carved into it was a happy one, and she knew that now she should be happy too, but for some reason she wasn't.

_**But without you, I'm alone**_

_You never really left, did you? You were with me all along, Sora. Our hearts were, and are still, one._

_**And I'd rather be in love with you**_

Sora knew that something was wrong, that something was bothering Kairi. He leaned in a little closer and said, softly, "Kairi, are you okay?" Kairi didn't move, so Sora added, "Kairi, look at me, please."

Kairi did as she was told, and her eyes met Sora's. Tears were streaming down her face once more, and her vision was blurry, so she could not see the painful look Sora was giving her, reflecting the pain he felt inside as she cried in front of him. Sora didn't understand why she was crying, and it hurt him so much to see her this way.

_**And I feel you holding me**_

"Please, tell me what's wrong, Kairi," he said, trying his best to understand. "Please, Kairi, please."

Kairi sniffed and said, "Now, I feel stupid for ever doubting you. You never gave me any reason to doubt you, Sora. I am so stupid, so stupid ..." She began to sob harder, causing tears to well up in Sora's eyes, too. He had to stop her crying, he just had to.

_**Why are we afraid to be in love,**_

_**to be loved?**_

"Kairi, it's okay," he said, placing his hand gently on the side of her face, but she did not stop. She closed her eyes in shame and continued to cry, but Sora only stroked the side of her face, trying his hardest to calm her. "Shhh, it's alright, Kairi, please, please stop crying." He used his thumb to wipe away all of the tears that she cried, all the while pleading, "Please, please, stop crying." Kairi could tell that his voice was shaking as he choked back his own tears, which were formed at the sight of her misery. After a while, she began to stop crying, and only a few single tears fell from her eyes. She gazed into Sora's azure blue orbs, and he gazed into her violet ones. They just stared at each other, their eyes saying everything, before Kairi broke the silence.

_**I can't explain**_

_**I know it's tough**_

_**To be loved**_

"I'm sorry for doubting you, Sora," she said. "I'm so so--"

But she couldn't finish, for just at that moment, Sora leaned in and placed his lips gently upon hers, pulling her into their first kiss. As soon as their lips met, both of their hearts began to race, pounding like drums, and a warm sensation filled their bodies. This was a long awaited kiss, a dream of both of theirs that was finally coming true. But just as quickly as it had begun, the kiss ended as Sora pulled away.

_**And I feel you holding me**_

"No," he said, staring into her eyes once more. "I'm the one who should be sorry, for taking so long to come back so that I could tell you how I really feel." He gulped, knowing that the time was now to tell her, and then he said, finally, "I love you."

Kairi smiled. _I forgive you, I forgive you, I forgive you,_ she thought, but those were not the words that came to her. She soon found herself confessing to him as well, with three simple words of her own. "I love you, too."

With that, Sora pulled her into another kiss, this one starting out gently as well, but it soon became deeper and developed into much more. This time, Kairi was kissing him back. This kiss was more like a string of little kisses, each more passionate than the last. It was as if these two teens weren't controlling themselves, but instead were letting their hearts decide the next move. They parted only to take quick breaths, and then continued on. Finally, Kairi ended the kiss by pulling away.

_**And when there's you, I feel whole**_

_**And there's no better feeling in the world**_

_**But without you, I'm alone**_

_**And I'd rather be in love with you**_

"Wow," she said with a smile. Her heart was doing backflips. _That was amazing,_ she thought. _Who knew he could kiss like that._ "I ... I mean ... wow."

Sora chuckled and took Kairi's hand in his. "Kairi," he said in a deep, confident tone, "would you -- you know -- be my girlfriend?" When Kairi didn't answer right away, he began to speak again, this time just rambling. "I understand if you don't, since this all happened really fast and stuff. If you don't want to I can hide my feelings really fast. Just say the word and we can go back to just being best friends, its okay -- oww!"

Kairi had slapped him playfully on the arm to get him to shut up, and she just laughed. "Don't be silly! Of course I will! I'd love nothing more than to be your girlfriend!" She rolled her eyes. "Geez, Sora, talking about being just best friends after that kiss."

_**And I'd rather be in love**_

Sora blushed and scratched the back of his head. "I didn't even know I could kiss that way," he said with a laugh. Then he sighed and said, "This is all happening really fast, you know--"

Kairi stopped him by putting a finger to his lips. She just smiled sweetly at him and said, "Don't worry. I'd rather be in love with you than just best friends any day."

_**Yes, I'd rather be in love**_

On hearing this, Sora smiled and planted one last passionate kiss on her lips before parting to say, "C'mon, Kai, it's getting late. I'll walk you home."

_**Oh, I'd rather be in love ...**_

Kairi nodded, stood and took his hand. They walked across the now dark beach illuminated by the many twinkling stars. Sora was right, it was all happening so fast, but they couldn't care less. They were in love, and that was all that mattered. They walked home, silently, hand-in-hand, thinking only of what tomorrow would bring.

_**... with you**_

(**A/N: **woohoo, it's finished, that took me forever to write, sorry people. a lot of people thought the story was over cuz i didn't update for so long ... sorry, had lots of hw, im sure you understand lol. this is NOT the end, theres a lot more coming, but it might take me a while to write, so don't flip out if i don't update for a while:-)


	6. Let's Be Happy

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, or Final Fantasy Characters used, unfortunately ... that would be really, really, really cool if I did ... don't you agree?**

(**A/N**: okay, heads up, this is a long chapter. hope you like : )

**CHAPTER FIVE: Let's be Happy**

"Geez, it's about time!" Riku exclaimed as he, Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka sat at the lunch table across from Sora and Kairi, who had just broken the news to their friends about their relationship. Sora turned his head and beamed at Kairi, who squeezed his hand and smiled back. Riku laughed. "You two are the most stubborn people I have ever met!"

Selphie grinned and clapped her hands together. "Ooh, how exciting! You two make the cutest couple ever!" Selphie jumped out of her seat, ran around to where Kairi was seated and threw her arms around her.

_**Continue without asking anything ...**_

_**If this is "happiness"**_

_**Then I want more**_

Meanwhile, Tidus, Wakka, and Sora exchanged handshakes and high-fives, as if Tidus and Wakka were congratulating the boy. Riku just sat still, smirking, thinking to himself, _Good job, Riku, you got them together. Sure did take forever, though._ Around him, his friends were chatting away about the news as if it was all a big surprise, when really, they all knew it would happen eventually. _I really wish they'd shut up about it now, though. _Then, he glanced down at his watch.

"Oh, would you look at that, lunch is almost over!" he said, interrupting the conversations taking place at the table. He looked around to see Kairi, Sora, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka staring at him, weird looks on their faces. It's not like it was strange of Riku to break up a conversation, but his sudden outburst seemed out of place. "What?" he said, eyeing them suspiciously. "I don't wannna be late. Got a problem?"

After a moment's hesitation, his friends shook their heads in unison.

"Alright, then," Riku continued, "let's go!" The boy grabbed his trash and walked away to dispose of it. His friends stared at him for a minute, and then shrugged it all off as if it was just "typical Riku."

Soon, everyone followed Riku's examples and threw away their trash, for lunch was about to end anyway. Tidus pushed open the lunchroom doors and steped out. Following closely behind him were Wakka, Selphie, and finally, Sora and Kairi, Sora in the lead. Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie rounded a corner at the end of the hallway to head to their lockers, and just as Sora was about to follow them, Kairi grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

_**Whenever I seem to forget**_

_**I want to exchange again the quiet vows**_

_**Although it would have been better if it was the first time**_

"Wha--" Sora began, but he was cut short, for his lips were soon occupied by Kairi's, for she had pulled him against her as she stood with her back to the wall. Sora wrapped his hands around Kairi's waist, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss, wanting more, but just as quickly as Kairi had begun the kiss, she stopped it, putting a finger in front of Sora's mouth.

Kairi giggled. "So," she said, a mischevious grin on her face, "what are you doing tommorow afterschool?"

"Nothing important," Sora said without even thinking about it, leaning forward to kiss Kairi again, but she stopped him.

_**Let's be happy**_

_**The official ambition**_

"Are you sure?" Kairi asked. "It didn't look like you gave that much thought."

"Whatever it is, I can cancel it," Sora quickly replied, leaning in yet again, but just like the last time, Kairi kept him from reaching her.

_**Tomorrow wil be even better than today ...**_

"Want to go see a movie?" Kairi asked, using her other hand to play with a strand of Sora's wild, spiky hair.

"Sure, that's fine with me," Sora said with a nod, and he pushed Kairi's hand gently aside so that he could reach her mouth, determined to kiss her, but Kairi was equally as determined to stop him, and she did once again. Sora rolled his eyes.

_**Let's become lovers**_

_**Let's walk hand in hand**_

"What movie?" she asked, giggling when she saw Sora's reaction.

"You can pick, Kairi," Sora told her, brushing her hand aside again. "Now, darn it, woman, let me kiss you!"

Kairi laughed. "Alright, you win," she said, and she threw her arms around him again, molding her lips over his, pulling him into a fiery kiss.

_**I love you more than anyone ...**_

But just as they had begun to enjoy themselves, the bell rang.

Kairi and Sora gently pulled apart, annoyed that they had been interrupted, but then they just smiled. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," Sora said, removing his arms from around her waist.

"Don't forget," Kairi said, kissing him quickly, one last time. "'Bye." And she rushed off to class.

"Mom, I'm home!" Sora called as he pushed open the front door of his house and set his backpack down by the door. Then he spun on his heel and headed toward the kitchen, thinking, _Dang, I'm hungry._ Then, when he stepped into the kitchen, he saw his mother, but she was doing something he had hardly seen her do before.

She was drinking... alchohol.

"Mom?" Sora looked at his mother questioningly, watching as she downed a shot of some clear liquid.

"Oh, hi, Honey," his mother said as she gulped down the last bit and set the shot glass into the sink behind her. "How was school?"

_**Let's be happy**_

_**Putting sadness to use**_

"Fine," Sora said as he examined his mother. She dressed for work, which Sora found strange, considering that his mother usually changed as soon as she got home, kicked off her shoes, and passed out on the couch ... or at least, thats the mother he had come home to after being gone for over a year. "How was work?"

Sora's mother was an assistant manager Destiny Islands National Bank, the only bank on the island, and therefore she had a great responsibility. Thats where she had always worked for as long as Sora could remember. It was a good job with a reasonable pay, and Sora always assumed that his mother enjoyed her work there.

Sora's mother dusted off her already lint-free outfit, looking up at her son only to say, "I quit."

_**We've taken some detours ...**_

Scratch that. Sora's mother used to be an assistant manager at Destany Islands National Bank.

The teenage boy stood there, his mouth hanging open, unable to think of anything else to say besides, "But, why?"

"I couldn't stand my boss any longer," his mother replied, clanking one heel upon the floor. "He was just ... just ... the most annoying bas--oh! Would you look at the time?" His mother glanced at a clock on the wall to her left and then turned back to Sora. "I'm going to be late!" She began to stride briskly toward the front door.

_**But let's meet right away**_

"Late?" Sora raised one eyebrow. "Late to what?"

"My job interview, of course!" His mother grabbed her coat, which was slung across the back of a sofa in the living room, which seperated the kitchen from the entrance.

_Job interview?_ Sora thought as he followed his mother to the door. _Wait ... if she already had one scheduled, that means she's been planning this! How long has she been planning to quit?_ Sora felt compelled to ask his mother this qestion, but instead, he found himself asking a far more important one. "A job interview where?" _There's only one bank on the island. Where could she possibly have applied for a job?_

_**Memories are yesterday**_

"Well ..." His mother looked at him with a face that said everything, but just to make sure he knew, she explained it to him anyway. "Now, don't freak out, but I applied for a job at the Florenia Island National Bank."

Her son was stunned. Florenia Island National Bank was a far larger bank than the one on this island, with far greater opportunity, but it was an hour-long ferry ride away, which meant all sorts of horrible things could happen -- _if she gets the job._

"You can't!" Sora protested, but his mother held up a hand to stop him before he could finish.

"I know, it's a long way away, but the assistant manager position just opened up, and it was too good of an offer to pass down. I have to do this, so please don't be angry." She opened the front door, revealing gray, cloud-streaked skies, which had the word "rain" written all over them. "We'll just hope I don't get the job," she continued, a grin spreading across her face. "Besides, I have experience in accounting, so ... there are plently of other job opportunities here for me. Now, I need to get going.I got a motel room across the bay. I'll be back tomorrow morning, Honey." She turned around to look in the direction of Kairi's house, and then turned back to Sora. "Stay out of trouble," she said. Then she leaned forward, placed a kiss on her son's cheek, and closed the door behind her.

_**Tomorrow will be even better than today ...**_

"Fine then, don't say ''Bye'." Sora said, rolling his eyes and heading up to his room to do his homework.

Later that night, the rain began to pour, and it continued to rain, relentlessly, into the night. Flashes of lightning streaked the sky and aroused the sea, while the thunder did some arousing of its own ...

_**Wanting to know what happens next**_

Kairi sat on the edge of her bed, staring out her window, watching the rain beat upon the ground. The thunder sounded like a war drum, and she clutched the blankets beneath her in fear. She hated the rain. It reminded her too much of her past.

_Besides, it rained the day he left, too ..._

BOOM! Again the sound of thunder rang in her mind. It was terrifying to her, and she couldn't handle it. She had to make sure it wasn't happening again ... she had to make sure that he was still there ... she had to make sure that the past wasn't to be relived.

_**I visited a sage, but when I did**_

_**He said, "I won't tell you."**_

BANG! She jumped off of her bed and raced down the stairs, stopping only to grab an umbrella, and she threw the door open, exposing herself to the evil outside, revealing herself to the rain.

_It has to be done ... I have to ..._

CRASH! She held the umbrella tightly in her hands and ran through the rain, toward confirmation. Ran drops fell around her in a circle, but they did not touch her. She was protected ... and she was almost there.

_**Many times after struggling I would arvive**_

_**Before the same door**_

_**And start to knock on it**_

DING-DONG!

Sora had fallen asleep on the couch with the television on, and he awoke with a start when he heard the doorbell ring. "What!" He looked around for the remote and quickly turned off the TV, suddenly noticing that it was unbearably loud. Then he looked around for a clock, something that would tell him what time it was. He found one on the VCR.

_12:34 AM ... Geez, who could be coming by at this hour?_

Groggily, Sora made his way to the front door. He was dressed only in a pair of pants and a baggy shirt, but he could have cared less what he looked like. He was only half-awake, after all. He reached out a hand and groped around for the doorknob, and when he found it, he threw the door open forcefully. "What do you want!" he shouted.

"Sora!"

Before his brain had even registered who was standing at the front door, his guest had thrown her umbrella down and thrown herself around him, burrying her face in his chest. "Oh, Sora," she cried, "thank goodness ... I was so scared that you were gone again ..."

_**But if you lend me a hand ...**_

"Kairi?" Sora gazed down upon the girl who had thrown herself into his arms, and he realized that it was, indeed, her. She was dressed in pajama bottoms and a loose-fitting shirt, so basically, she had come in what she had slept in. He wrapped his arms around her and comforted her to the best of his ability at this hour, and said, "Geez, Kairi, if I had known it was you, I would have been a little more polite ..."

Kairi laughed, and he heard her say, even though her voice was muffled, "So, are you saying, if it wasn't me, you still would have been just as rude?"

_**We'll be happy**_

_**A persistent hope**_

_**Reality is unexpeted ...**_

Sora laughed too, and, while still embracing Kairi, he leaned forward and pushed the door closed, blocking out the rain. Then he gently pulled away so that he could focus his eyes on her face. "Now, what's wrong, Kai?" he asked softly, as if letting her know just by the sound of his voice that whatever it was, it was all going to be okay.

"It's ... the rain," Kairi admitted, hesitating a bit. When Sora raised an eyebrow, she explained. "The day that the Island was restored, the very first day that life returned to 'normal', it rained. The first day you were gone, it rained. It hasn't rained since then, Sora, not once ... but now ..." She paused for a second, just gazing into his eyes, realizing that he was trying his best to understand. "Oh, Sora!" she said. "It started raining again, and ... I was ... I was afraid that you were gone again!" A single, silver tear streamed down her cheek, but before it could fall from her face, it was wiped away by Sora's thumb.

"Shh," he said as he stroked her face. "Kairi, I'm still here, I'm not leaving. It's okay."

Kairi leaned back in to rest her head on his chest once more, and he held her for a while, embracing her protectively so that she would feel safe. Really, she did feel better, but she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to feel alone again, or afraid, not again. She wanted Sora to protect her from the rain.

"Sora?"

"Hmm?" Sora asked, stifling a yawn.

"Can ... can I stay here tonight?" Kairi asked.

_**Let's not decide**_

_**This uncertain time**_

At first, Sora didn't answer, surprised that she had even asked such a question. But, not once did the thought of denying her a place to stay cross his mind. He agreed, and he took her by the hand. Then he led her slowly up the stairs to his room.

_**Because of it, I must, with you, be happy**_

"Sora, are you here alone?" Kairi asked suddenly as they made their way to the bedroom.

"Yeah," Sora said with a sigh, and then before Kairi could ask, he added, "My mom quit her job. She has a job interview. Best not to talk about it."

_**Excuses are useless**_

_**Even if we take the long way ...**_

Kairi nodded. _Yeah, I don't really want to talk about it anyway ..._

Sora pushed open the door to his room and let go of Kairi's hand. He walked over to his bed, turned around, and fell down upon it. Then he looked over at Kairi, who hadn't moved from her spot in the doorway. _Why is she still standing there?_

_**Do you really really want to see a brigter day**_

_**Then look this way, at me**_

_**Or would you rather stay unhappy another day?**_

_**Then go ahead, not me**_

"Umm, I can sleep on the floor, if you want," she offered.

Sora actually thought that this remark was funny, and he laughed at it. "You're kidding, right?" he said, and he patted the spot next to him on his bed.

_**Let's be happy**_

_**A natural ambition**_

_**Tomorrow will be even better than today ...**_

Kairi smiled, and she layed down beside him calmly, unlike Sora himself, who had free-fallen violently backward into the position he was in now. They both just layed there for a moment, silent, motionless, as if it made them both uncomfortable that they were sharing a bed. But then, Kairi broke the silence by saying, "Well, goodnight." Then she pulled her feet up and slipped them under the covers, as Sora had already done, and rolled over on her side, her back toward him.

"Kairi ..." Sora called softly.

Kairi rolled back over so that she was facing the opposite direction, toward him, and looked at him. Their eyes locked, and Sora suddenly felt strange, like his body was urging him to make a move, urging him to take advantage of her. Maybe this was a bad idea ...

_No, I promised I wouldn't get into trouble, and I'm keeping my promise._

_**Let's make a promise**_

_**Let's talk through the night**_

Sora stroked the side of Kairi's face again, and she relaxed, closing her eyes. It was then that he placed a soft, gentle kiss upon her lips.

"Don't worry," he whispered, "I'm not going anywhere."

Kairi smiled and curled up beside him. Her shape fit perfectly beside his. Sora lovingly wrapped one arm around her, just to assure her that he wasn't leaving that spot, but Kairi didn't need the reassurance. She knew in her heart that he wasn't going anywhere, he wasn't leaving her, because he wouldn't do that to her. They were too much in love.

_**We will always be happy**_

_**Putting sadness to use**_

_**We've taken some detours ...**_

"Sora?" she called.

"Yeah, Kai?" Sora asked quietly.

_**But let's meet right away**_

_**Beyond memories**_

"I love you," Kairi said, "and thanks."

Sora smiled. "Love you, too, Kai."

And with that, they drifted off to sleep.

_**Tomorrow will be even better than today**_

BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!

Sora rolled over and routinely slapped the snooze button on his alarm clock, which rested on the nightstand by his bed. The annoying noise ceased to exist immediately. Sora yawned and sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes. Then he blinked and opened them, taking in his surroundings. His room looked like it normally did ... with one exception: the sleeping girl curled up beside him on the bed.

At first, Sora was shocked when he saw Kairi, but then the memories of the night before flooded back to him, and he relaxed. _It's okay, Sora, _he told himself. _She was just scared of the rain. Nothing happened. _He smiled and gazed at her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful, illuminated by the sun that streamed in from the window behind them. _The sun ..._ Then Sora remembered. _Oh crap, it's a school day!_

He looked back at Kairi, decided it was best to wake her up, and gently called, "Kairi ... Kairi, wake up ... we have to go to school today ..."

_**Do you really really want to see ...**_

Kairi began to stir, and before long, she opened her violet eyes. There, hovering over her, was Sora, and she smiled at the sight. "Morning," she said.

_**... a brighter day?**_

Sora returned the smile and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Sorry to wake you, but we have school today," he said.

Kairi chuckled and turned over in the bed so that her back was to Sora. "Okay, well have fun at school," she said. "Goodnight."

"Oh no, you're coming with me!" Sora said, and he playfully pushed her, but he must have pushed harder than he thought, because the force caused the girl to roll off the side of the bed and land with a thud on the floor.

"Ow!" Kairi called from her place on the floor. Sora bit his lip, worried that he hurt her, but he soon realized that he had nothing to worry about when he saw Kairi slowly get to her feet. She looked a little pissed off, hunched over with her fists clenched at her sides, but Sora could only laugh. Seeing her boyfriend's reaction, Kairi grabbed the pillow closest to her and launched it at Sora, hitting him right in the face and muffling his laughter. Now, it was Kairi's turn to laugh.

_**Then look this way, at me**_

"Well, I'm gonna go home and get dressed," Kairi said, heading for the door. "People are probably gonna think I'm crazy, walking around in my pajamas, but hey, I don't care. It's not like they don't already think I'm a nut case because of the way I acted when you were gone." She opened the door and stepped through to the other side. "I bet I can get dressed and get back here before you can, or even get out of bed, for that matter, you lazy bum. 'Bye," she called, and she closed the door behind her and made a run for it, determined to win the bet."

Hearing Kairi's last words, Sora sprung to his feet and bounded over to his closet. He reached in and pulled out his normal black outfit and slipped it on as fast as he possibly could, still zipping it up as he hobbled over to where he thought his shoes were, only to find one of them was missing. Sora dropped to his hands and knees and searched under every piece of furniture in his room. Finally, he found the missing shoe tossed carelessly beside his bed, and he slipped it halfway on. As he sprinted toward the door to his bedroom, he pushed it the rest of the way on. Once he was through the door, he hopped across the hall to the bathroom on one foot while he forced his second shoe onto the other foot. He tumbled into the bathroom and used one hand to run a brush through his wild, tangled hair, while he scrubbed his teeth with the other hand. When he thought he was ready to go, he tubled down the stairs and raced to the front foor, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder on the way. He had the bet won, there was nothing between him and the front door! He pulled the door open and prepared to dash toward Kairi's house ...

... but found Kairi standing on the other side.

"Huh?" Sora said, stumbling backward. "You're ... you're here? Already?"

Kairi laughed. "I knew you couldn't resists a little competition," she said, messing up Sora's hair, "but I'm still faster."

"You cheated!" Sora said, determined still to win. _She had to have cheated! Nobody is that fast!_

_**Or would you rather stay unhappy another day?**_

The girl giggled and shook her head. Then she held out her arms and twirled around once, modeling what she was wearing. "What do you think?" she asked.

Sora looked her over. She was wearing a light-blue T-shirt and a matching mini-skirt with a brown belt wrapped around her waist. Sora had to admit, she looked very pretty, though it's not like she didn't look pretty anyway. But Sora wasn't going to let her win that easily. He smirked. "I liked your pajama's better," he said sarcastically.

Kairi rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully, but as she retracted her hand, Sora grabbed it and placed a kiss upon it, causing a smile to grace Kairi's face. _He's so sweet, _she thought. _It's the little things like this that he does that make me happy._

Then as Sora raised his head and their eyes locked, an equally as beautiful smile spread across his own face, and the sight made Kairi feel warm inside. His smile was comforting to her, and it made all the problems in the world disappear, so that for that moment alone, she had nothing to worry about. She was blissful, peaceful, whenever he was around, and she knew that as long as he was with her, she could never be unhappy. She could never go back to being as depressed as she once was as long as he was by her side.

_**Then go ahead, not me**_

Kairi interlaced her fingers with Sora's and tugged him out of his house. "C'mon," she said, still not breaking their eye contact, "let's go to school."

Sora really didn't want to go to school. He would much rather have speant the day alone with Kairi, a day full of moments like this one, but he knew he had to go t o school in order to stay out of trouble like he promised his mother he would. _And besides,_ he thought, _I'm walking there with her. We still have a few more minutes before class starts._ He nodded his head. "Okay," he said.

Kairi turned around and took off down the street, Sora close behind her, still clutching her hand in his. They ran to school together, deciding not to worry about other things for now, like the rain, job interviews, and what could become of them in the future. It was just the two of them. At least for a few minutes more, before they had to be tortured by the boredom and, dare I say it, learning that came with school, they could be happy.

_**Tomorrow will be even better than today ...**_

(**A/N**: okay, so I know that was long and kind of pointless, but I needed to put that in there, and I had originally called this chapter what I am going to call the next one and had combined the two, but then I realized it was waaaaaayyyy too long, so splitting them up into two different chapters was better. I just added a little detail to this one to make it better. The next chapter's coming soon, I promise. Oh yeah, and the song for this chapter is actually called Shiawase ni Narou, which means Let's be Happy, in Japanese, and it translates to what I used for this chapter.)


	7. Can You Keep a Secret?

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, or Final Fantasy Characters used, unfortunately ... that would be really, really, really cool if I did ... don't you agree? Anybody wanna buy the rights to it for me? They'd be the coolest person in the world if they did!**

(**A/N**: this is kinda like part 2 of the last chapter, kinda ... in a way, sort of ... ok, scratch that, its pretty different)

**CHAPTER SIX: Can you keep a secret?**

"Thank God!" Sora said, jumping up out of his seat, when the final bell of the day rang, releasing the students from the prison known as school. The other teenagers who had risen from their desks, even those halfway to the door already, stopped to stare at Sora, who laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Heh ... I guess that came out louder than I thought," he said, for he had meant only to think it. However, this was just typical Sora, so his classmates simply shrugged off the remark and exited the room. Kairi, who had been seated beside Sora at their table, giggled, causing Sora to avert his gaze to her.

"Excuse me," he said, crossing his arms and carefully emphasizing the word "excuse" to add extra effect, "what are you laughing at?"

Kairi shook her head as if to say, "Nothing, nothing at all, Sora," scooted her chair back away from the table, and gracefully rose from her chair.

The last class of the day for both of them was the worst one of all: Biology. There were no desks, only lab tables. You sat two to a table, and who you sat by was who you were stuck with as your partner from then on. Sora was lucky to have ended up by Kairi when he returned, who of course, was a straight A student. The walls were pale, colorless, and cold, but of course, this was a science lab, not art class. "This class," as the teacher, Mr. Nakamura, had told them so often, "is strictly professional, a place of learning and study, a class where only hard work and dilligence will earn you a passing grade." That basically translates to, "This is Biology class. Sit down, shut up, and pay attention. While you are in here, I am your dictator, and this is not a democracy. No fun allowed!" Yet, being teenagers, the students couldn't have cared less what the teacher had to say. He could have just as easily said, "Ho, ho, ho! I am Santa Claus!" and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference to them.

That was just the way school was.

"Oh, well okay then," Sora said and he made a move toward the door. "See ya, Kai!" he said as he took another step forward, preparing to make a run toward freedom, but something held him back. Something, or someone, dared to elongated the time it would take before the boy reached the doors.

And of course, it was Kairi.

_**I want to get closer to your thoughts**_

_**I can't sit still**_

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

"We still on for that date tonight?" she asked him softly as she pulled him close. When Sora didn't immediately answer, she added, "You didn't forget, did you?"

"No, of course not!" Sora lied, furiously shaking his spiky head in response. Truthfully, the events of the previous night had thrown him off ... and he had forgotten. _Phew, thank goodness she reminded me, though. _"So," he said quickly afterward, lowering his volume, "what time should I come over?"

Kairi grinned mischieviously and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, seven is good for me," she said. "How 'bout you?"

"Perfect," Sora said with a smile, making a mental note to tell his mother he had a date tonight when he got home. _She should be back by now_, he thought. _She said she would be._

_**I've been sending you signals from here**_

_**You still haven't deciphered them**_

_**Come on**_

"Okay, then," Kairi said, closing her eyes. Sora knew what that meant. He knew that that was the signal to kiss her, and he leaned in to place his lips upon hers, but right before he did, he was rudely interrupted.

"Ahem!"

Kairi opened her eyes and blinked a few times before she and Sora both turned their heads towards the front of the room. Mr. Nakamura was sitting upright at his desk, tapping one of his many identical black pens upon the small spanse of uncovered desktop between two neat stacks of papers. Sora and Kairi had seen all of the students leave, so naturally, they had assumed that they were alone. But they were wrong.

"If you are going to do that," he said, sounding rather annoyed, "then please leave the premises and please do it on your own time!"

Sora and Kairi both rolled their eyes and turned back to face each other, placing their arms at their sides. Sora smiled. "See you later, then," he said, and he dashed toward the door.

"Remember, seven!" Kairi called after him.

Sora, somehow managing to keep moving, turned around swiftly to wave at Kairi and acknowledge her. "Seven!" he repeated, and then he disappeared from sight.

"I'm home!" Sora called, pushing his front door open with such force that it slammed against the wall behind it, but Sora paid no attention to the wall. He was more intent on tossing his backpack halfway across the room and then letting it slide across the floor the rest of the way. "Mom!"

Sora paused, waiting for an answer, waiting for any sound. Yet the only sound that could be heard was the thud of his backpack slamming into the opposite wall. After that sound subsided, the house was completely silent. _Where is she?_

_**Let's tell you, let's not**_

"Mom, I'm back from school!" Sora called a little bit louder, hoping to arouse an answer from his mom, wherever she was. But still, he heard nothing apart from his breathing. He even held his breath for a moment, in high hopes to catch a sound.

Nothing.

Sora began weaving in and out of the rooms in his house, looking for his mother. "Mom ... Mom ... where are you mom ...?" he called out, as if he were looking for a child in a game of hide-and-seek. He was it. But where was she hiding?

_**Let's hide like this**_

_**Let's continue until I can't run anymore**_

It was only on his second trip through the kitchen that he saw the black answering machine sitting on the counter. A little red light on the side of it was blinking, alerting him that he had messages. Sora stepped up to it, curiosity getting the better of him, and quickly pressed the "Play Back" button. A generic man's voice sounded, making Sora jump a little, for honestly, he had never worked an answering machine before. _She must have bought it when I was gone._

"You have four new messages ... Message one ..."

BEEP!

"Hey, Sora, man! It's Wakka. I was just-a wonderin--"

"Tell him I said 'Hi!' C'mon, tell him!"

"Shut up! Oh, ya, Sora, Tidus is with me--"

"Hi, Sora!"

"I said shut it! Okay, man ... so we're down here at the beach and we're bored as hell, ya!"

"You'll never believe what Selphie just did, Sora! She--"

"Hey, HEY! Back off! Who has the cell phone here, man? Huh? I do, ya! So back off, I'm tellin' the story!"

"What, the--"

Sora clicked the "Delete Message" button on the answering machine, shaking his head, but smiling. Wakka and Tidus could be so weird sometimes. Then the generic male voice began to speak again.

"Message erased ... Message two ..."

BEEP!

"..."

Dial Tone ...

"Hmmph, looser hung up before he left a message," Sora said aloud before pressing the "Delete Message" button once again.

"Message erased ... Message three ..."

BEEP!

"Sora ...? You there ...? Oh, well duh, you're not home from school yet, stupid me, heh."

The boy's eyes widened. "Mom?" He stared intently at the black machine. It had his complete attention now. He was very curious as to what his mother had to say, very interested in whatever her excuse might be.

"Well, anyway, umm, when you get home, I guess you'll hear this. Listen, Honey ... I don't know if it rained where you are, but it sure rained here. It was coming down outside! It still kinda is, but not nearly as hard as it was last night. Yeah ... anyway, it rained, like, several inches. It's the rainstorm from hell, I'm telling you! Oh, excuse my language."

Sora rolled his eyes. _Okay, I get that it's raining. What's the point? _"Where are you, Mom? You said you'd be back by now!"

As if his mother had heard him, she answered his question. "About the interview -- they really seemed to like me. In fact, they asked me to stay a little bit longer. Well, thats not really true. I was about to leave when I found out the ferries are closed for today because the rain rose the water level, umm, a little too much. Heh, the water's spilling over the docks. Heard there's been some spin-outs on the roads too. The people conducting the interview said I could stay, and they said they guessed it was a good thing that I couldn't leave, because they said my resume was impressive and they wanted to talk to me and a few others a little bit more." She sighed.

"Please insert more change."

"No, wait--"

Dial tone ...

Sora didn't even bother to delete this message. He knew the next one would probably be from her as well, and he quickly pressed the "Next" button on the machine. Sure enough, the next message was from his mother.

"Gah! Stupid payphones ... So, to wrap it up, Sora, I won't be home until tomorrow. I should be back by the time you get home. I for sure will be, this time. I watched the weather -- the weather channel was like the only one I could get on the little TV in my hotel room -- and they said it's going to be sunny and warm tomorrow! I will be back, I promise. Oh, yeah, and by the way, there's some soup ... no wait, I didn't buy soup ... okay, well there's at least some Cheez-It's in the pantry if you get hungry. I gotta go now, Hun, I'm out of change for this stupid phone. Love you! See you tomorrow! 'Bye!"

"End of messages."

After hearing the last words of the infamous voice inside the black machine, Sora stood motionless. He didn't dare move, afraid that any slightest twitch would taint the memory of his mother's words, which were being played over and over again in his mind, as if his mind were an answering machine, and he was continuously mashing the "Replay" button. Did he hear her right? _No ... _He couldn't have heard her right. Did she know what she was saying? Did she really just say that her reason for not being home was that the interview had gone well? _They want to interview her more!_ Had she any idea what could happen? Had she any idea what this could turn into? Had she any idea what this could do to him! _No ... No way ... _Sora thought. _No freakin' way ..._

_**To trust in you ...**_

Sora stormed out of the kitchen in anger. He marched furiously into the living room and pounced on the sofa, grabbing ahold of a throw pillow. He punched it a few times out of rage, trying to ease his frustration. "Damn it," he cursed silently, continuing to exert his force on the pillow. When his knuckles grew weary from the impact, he turned his fist sideways and continued to pound it, tiring himself in the process. Finally, giving up in his attempt to maul the pillow, he fell into it, burrying his face in the cushion, groaning into the fabric.

_**... No I can't**_

That's when the phone rang.

This irritated Sora even more, both because of the fact that since the phone was located on an end table next to the couch, it was ringing right in his ear, and because it meant he would have to move again to answer it. Sora really didn't want to move. However, the ringing was quite annoying, and if he didn't move, it would only ring longer. Deciding that having to move was the lesser of the two evils, Sora reached for the phone. He brought it down to his face, lifted his head so that his voice didn't sound muffled, and spoke into it.

"Hello?" he answered in a tone that mirrored his mood.

"Hey, Sora." It was Kairi.

"Oh, hey, Kai," Sora said, sitting up on the sofa. "What's up?"

"Nothing, really. I was just calling to make sure you were home." Then she paused, continuing with. "You okay? You sound kinda ... upset."

"No, I'm fine," Sora lied. As if she knew he wasn't telling her the truth, Kairi said nothing. Sora sighed and then added, "I'm just a little, ya know, frustrated."

"Umm, no, I don't know," Kairi replied. "What's wrong, Sora?" she asked in a sympathetic tone.

Sora really didn't want to talk about it. The boy really didn't want to bring her into this. He really didn't want to burden Kairi with his frustration. So he didn't. "It's no big deal," he told her. "We can talk about it later."

"Hmm." Sora heard Kairi utter a faint sigh. "Well, alright then. I guess I'll see you at seven."

"Yeah, seven," the boy repeated. "See ya then."

"'Bye, Sora."

"'Bye."

Sora heard a click as Kairi hung up the phone on the other end. Sora fell sideways into his previous position, stretching his arm over his head to place the phone back on the reciever. Then he brought his hands to his face and ran them up and down his cheeks. _I don't want to worry her_, Sora thought, _but how am I going to keep her from bringing it up later tonight? What then?_ It's not like he could lie to her. Sora couldn't lie to Kairi. Their bond was just too strong. He couldn't risk hurting their relationship, not after all he had put her through before.

_**Because you seem like you still doubt me**_

Sora stole a glance at a clock on the wall. It read 3:15. _I have four hours ... It would be stupid to worry 'bout it now._

The boy sighed and relaxed upon the couch, deciding that he would figure something out later.

Four hours later, Sora was starting to worry. He hadn't thought of any way to divert the dreaded topic to something else, should it come up. Sora could feel anger pulsing in his veins as he stood outside of Kairi's door. _No, not now. I have to stay calm_, he thought. And so the anxious boy took one long, deep breath, and knocked.

_**I want to get closer to your thoughts**_

As if she were waiting just on the other side of the door, Kairi answered it as soon as she heard the knock. In fact, Sora hadn't even had time to completely retract his hand. He was left staring blankly at a smiling Kairi, taking in the sight of her. My, did she look good! She was wearing a cute, yet sophisticated, black top with sleeves that were off-the-shoulder, and dark jeans with embroidered details. It was simple clothing, but it made her look stunning. The only thing that Sora could manage to say was, "Wow."

Kairi beamed, knowing that Sora's expression and loss of words were his way of saying, "You look beautiful." She examined him, as well, admiring his blue striped button-down shirt and jeans. "You look pretty hot yourself," she said with a giggle. Then she stole a glance at the bare street behind Sora. "Oh," she said, "are we walking?"

"About that," Sora said, looking down at the ground, partly because he was thinking about what to say to her and partly to hide the slight red tinge on his cheeks. "Yeah, well, my mom got rained in at her job interview ... Gonna be back tomorrow ... I'll explain later."

Kairi shrugged and stepped out of the way, allowing Sora entrance to her house, and locking the door behind them. _Oh well,_ she thought as Sora looked around, _the theater's only a block over, anyway. And it's nice out. In fact, I'd rather walk than drive today!_

_Hmm, drive ..._ Then a thought popped into Kairi's head. "Hey, Sora," she said abrubtly, causing him to jump and spin around. She giggled and continued. "You know, your birthday's coming up soon, isn't it?

Sora was surprised that he, himself, had almost forgotten his own birtday ... but then again, it had been over a year since he'd actually had a party. Then he smiled, recalling something else, "Yup, you're right -- and then a month later, your birthday!"

_**I can't sit still**_

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

Kairi smiled and nodded, walking closer to Sora. "You know," she said, leaning forward a bit, her hands behind her back, "we'll be sixteen! We can drive ourselves anywhere we want!"

"Ah, not so fast," Sora said, holding up a hand. "You've forgotten that we have to take driver's ed, first, which of course, you will fail."

Kairi put her hands on her hips and cocked her head playfully to one side. "Is that so? And I suppose you'll pass with flying colors?"

Sora nodded. "Sure will!" he said, and he held his head high, proudly.

His girlfriend pointed at him and laughed. "Haha! You should have seen the look on your face just then! Hilarious!"

_**I'm not sad anymore because you're here**_

Sora, though he didn't know exactly why, found himself laughing at this remark as well. Maybe it was because for the past day or so he had been so worried that laughing was out of the question. Maybe it was because for the past few hours he had been so frustrated that his emotion had the same effect. Whatever the reason, Sora didn't care. For a few moments, the laughter took control of him, the joy pulsed through his vains. Hearing his laughter alongside hers, Kairi laughed harder, provoking Sora to do the same. The pair was practically rolling on the ground with laughter, and for what? A facial expression! But it didn't matter ... Besides, who needed an excuse to laugh? It was a few simple moments of pure bliss.

But then, Sora remembered. He remembered why he wasn't laughing, and immediately he stopped.

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

For another minute or two, Kairi continued laughing, oblivious to the fact that Sora had stopped. Then, finally, it hit her that something sounded different, and her own laughter slowly subsided. She stared at Sora, finding him staring at the groud, his brow wrinkled in anger, kicking at the carpet as the memories of his prior conversation with his mother came to mind. Of course, Kairi had no idea that it had ever taken place, so she raized an eyebrow quizically, and slowly took a few more steps forward.

"Sora?" she asked out of concern. "Are you ... okay?"

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

"What?" Sora snapped out of his trance and stared at her. "Oh, well ... yeah, of course I'm okay! Why would I not be okay?" He had no idea that when he was saying this, he was shouting, and Kairi was taken aback. She looked at his face -- it was wrought with distress, she could tell. He was lying to her. It was obvious that he was.

"Are you sure?" she asked, daring to inch just a bit further. She wasn't going to just come out and say, "You're lying to me, Sora! Tell me the truth!" She didn't want to pressure the truth out of him ... not if he really didn't want to talk about it.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," Sora spat out quickly, gesturing with his hands, turning his back to her and taking a few steps away from her.

Kairi stopped moving forward, sighed and said, "'Cause, ya know, you can talk with me about anything, Sora. I'll listen. I will."

_**I can't get closer to your thoughts**_

The brunette grunted. "You sound like my mother."

"No, Sora," Kairi said, staring at Sora, keeping her eyes fixed on the back of his head. "I'm sounding like a best friend. I may be your girlfriend but I'm still your best friend, too. Nothing can ever change that. So please, Sora, if something's bothering you, don't hesitate to tell me."

Sora lifted his head and turned around, his eyes locking on to Kairi's. His mouth hung open like he was about to say something. She was right, he could tell her anything and she wouldn't care, but she just didn't understand.

_I can't tell her. I have to resist bringing her into this._

"Sora, I don't want to see you upset," Kairi said, moving toward him again, still keeping her eyes locked with his. "I don't want you to be stressed out."

The boy didn't move. He managed to close his mouth, but that was it. He loved her, he knew she wanted to know what was bothering him, but it wasn't right to worry her with what he was thinking of. Besides, it was just a possibility, right?

_Fight it. Resist the urge to tell her._

"Please, Sora." She was practically pleading with him to tell her what was wrong. Whatever it was, she could handle it, that much she knew.

But Sora was losing his focus now. He was slipping ... and he could feel it. His mind was wandering back and forth between telling her and ... and how beautiful she looked. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling in the moonlight but ... What was he thinking! It wasn't even dark yet! And they were inside!

_Don't say anything ... Damn, she looks beautiful ... Wait, what am I thinking? What's going on?_

"Kairi ..." The name slipped from Sora's mouth. He began to move toward Kairi, and she stopped all movement. She just watched him approaching her, slowly, and then he began to walk a bit faster every second. He didn't know what he was doing. The frustration ... it was causing him to lose control of himself. He didn't understand it, so he couldn't stop it.

"Y-yes, Sora?" Kairi said, stuttering a little. He was starting to scare her now. The look in his eye ... it was truely frightening. She found herself backing up, matching his pace so he couldn't come any closer. "What ... What's going on?"

"You ... You're so ..." Sora was trying so hard to regain focus, trying to hard to resist what was going on, but the emotions were just too strong to control. "You're so ... You're so beautiful ..."

_**I can't change so suddenly ...**_

And then, something inside Sora snapped. Resistance of any kind became non existant, as his body became like a human super conductor. His emotions were in complete control. There was no stopping him now.

_**... Can you keep a secret?**_

"Sora ..." Kairi called out. She knew that he had lost control. She could tell by the look in his eyes. Then her back hit the wall.

Sora's body came crashing into her's. He placed his hands on the wall on either side of Kairi's head, and landed his lips on hers, pulling her into a fiery, passionate kiss. Kairi put her hands on the sides of Sora's face, hoping to stop him, but he was too strong, and eventually, she just went along with it. But still, she wondered, _Where'd he learn to kiss like that? _It was unlike any other kiss they had ever shared. But still, as if it were any other kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck. As soon as she did so, she felt Sora's tongue plunge into her mouth, and at first, it shocked her, but then she found herself doing the same thing. Everything was just happening so fast ... she had no choice but to just let it happen.

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

_**Or is this the secret?**_

Out of the corner of her eye, Kairi could see Sora's right hand begin to move. It was descending down and away from the wall, and she had a pretty good idea as to where it was going. Yet she couldn't protest, because Sora was distracting her by placing a kiss on her cheek, and then on her neck, down to her throat, and then to her collar bone, and finally to just above the line of her shirt. It was then that Kairi felt Sora place a hand on her side.

She jumped. Sora's hands were normally warm ... but now, they were icy cold against her skin.

"S-Sora, I think--" but Kairi couldn't finish, because Sora had drawn her into another deep kiss, one that she couldn't easily pass up. Meanwhile, she could feel Sora gently caress her side, and his icy touch sent shivers down her spine. Yet the feeling intrigued her all the same. Her own hands found their way back to Sora's cheeks, but this time, to draw him closer, to deepen the kiss. Seeing this as his que, Sora placed his other hand in the same place on Kairi's other side, stroking every bit of her skin he could touch, but Kairi was thankful that he didn't go too far.

_**Even when you are near**_

_**I search for roundabout expressions**_

_**If you don't want things to stay a mystery**_

_**Won't you come on**_

Sora's icy touch continued to tickle her, for it was a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt, and it did feel good. The feeling triggered something inside of her, something that brought out another part of her. She found herself slipping, just like Sora had, and she fought a heated battle with herself for control.

_**Faint ruslting**_

_**Stalking moving shadow**_

_**Shadows that can't be shaken off**_

_**Can't you take a little risk ...**_

The kisses that Sora and Kairi shared grew deeper and deeper, more fiery with every motion of their lips and tongue, and every time they parted for a split second, she burned for more. Their kisses, sometimes forceful and passionate, were at times also gentle, just barely touching, to ensure that the other would come back for more. She was wanting this, needing this more and more by the second, as Sora's actions, though out of instinct, seduced her. Kairi had seen what had happened to Sora. She feared snapping like he had. They could scarcely breathe as they continued to kiss, but didn't dare stop for fear of losing the moment, for a fear of slipping even further out of control. It was all Kairi could do to keep calm, for honestly, though a part of her wanted this, the other part was completely terrified.

_**... and put your courage on the line**_

Slowly, Sora's hands slid up her back, making Kairi shiver from his touch. Her heart began to race as Sora, once again, began to move downward, his kisses making a trail down her neck. As his kisses caressed and tickled her colar bone, a thought crossed Kairi's mind. _This isn't Sora_, she thought. _No, this can't be Sora. The Sora i know, the Sora I fell in love with, wouldn't take advantage of me, not like this ..._

_**I want to get closer to your thoughts**_

_**I can't sit still**_

And it was true. The Sora she knew had vanished for the moment. Her Sora had been consumed by his own emotions and was acting not on his own behalf. The Sora whose kisses had graced her mouth just now -- that wasn't really Sora. That was just an illusion, just one part of him ... the one part that lies inside every person, concealed within our hearts, that breaks free in rage and stress.

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

The Sora in front of her right now -- that wasn't him.

And as "Sora"'s kisses trailed lower and lower, to where they had once been, just above the top of her shirt, and she feared they would venture lower, Kairi knew she had to stop this.

"Enough!" she managed to call, using what strength the had to lift Sora's head back up so that it was level with hers. "Look at me!" she said. "Sora ..."

And instantly, Sora's expression softened, and his eyes grew wide. He withdrew his hands and backed away quickly, giving Kairi the space to step away from the wall. His lip was quavering, and Kairi could tell that it was because inside he was screaming, "What have I done?"

But she had brought out the real Sora again, and that's all that mattered.

"K-Kairi ..." he stammered, backing away slowly, "I ... I'm so sorry ..."

Kairi could see the pain in his eyes, and she could tell that he truely was sorry. He had completely lost control, and he was blaming himself for everything. The expression on his face and reflected in his eyes alone was almost enough to bring Kairi to tears ... it pained her to see him like that.

_**I'm not sad anymore because you're here**_

She cautiously approached him. "Sora ..." she said, her eyes watery. "Sora ... it's ..." She couldn't bring herself to finish by saying, "okay", because really, it wasn't okay. It was far from okay. But just glancing at Sora was an apology enough, she knew.

"No, no, it's not okay!" Sora shouted, shaking his head. "It's all my fault! Who knows what could have happened if you hadn't stopped me? Who knows--"

"Sora, don't blame yourself ... Sora ... please ... why are you running away from me?" Kairi was practically pleading with him now, but Sora continued to back away.

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

"I could have ... I could have ..." He was thinking of the worst, avoiding Kairi's eyes now, ashamed of himself. He had almost taken advantage of her, and because of what? Uncontrolled emotions -- Sora was the Keybearer! Emotion shouldn't be a problem for him! "I'm sorry ... so sorry ..."

_**I can't get closer to your thoughts**_

_**I can't change back later**_

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

But right then, Kairi lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him, keeping him from moving farther away, pulling him into an embrace. Sora threw his arms around her as well, holding her tight, embracing her protectively. He was sorry for losing control, he truely was, and Kairi wanted him to know that it wasn't the end of the world. Nothing was going to change between them because of it. They were still Sora and Kairi, best friends, lovers, and nothing was going to change how they felt about each other.

"Kairi, I truely am sorry," Sora whispered into her ear as she gently rested her head upon his shoulder.

"It's alright, Sora, I'm okay," Kairi replied, just loud enough for him to hear. _He is really overreacting, _she thought. _It's not like he hurt me or anything_. "Nothing bad happened--"

"But it could have!" Sora rebuked, pulling back a little so that he could look into Kairi's eyes. He pushed a few stray hairs out of her face. "It almost did ..."

"Sora ..." Kairi gently pushed his arms aside and made her way over to a small sofa nearby. She sat down and patted the cusion beside her, gesturing for Sora to do the same. He shuffled over to where she was and plopped down beside her, turning his body just a little so that they were facing each other. The way Kairi was sitting, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes fixed upon her twiddling thumbs, Sora could tell she wanted to talk.

_**Prove to me that you won't blab ...**_

_**... Can you keep a secret?**_

"What is it, Kairi?" he asked, causing her to look up at him. "What do you want to talk about?"

_**Or is this the secret?**_

"I want you ... to tell me ..." Kairi began, her gaze jumping back and forth between each of Sora's azure blue eyes. Within them, she found the courage to continue. "I want you to tell me what's wrong," she said, and seeing Sora frown, she added, "Right now, please."

_**I've been keeping it a secret up until now**_

_**Don't tell anyone**_

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

_**I'm not sad anymore because you're here**_

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

Sora stood and faced away from her, gazing off at an angle at the floor. It was no use fighing it anymore ... and besides, nothing bad could become of just telling her the truth, right?

_**Even though you promise not to hurt me**_

_**Nobody will understand**_

_I don't know for sure ..._

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

They say that the truth never hurt anyone, but the drastic conclusions that Sora had drawn based on the little bit of information his mother had given him made him think that it would. He knew for a fact that the sayings were false, but not saying anything is worse ... isn't it?

_**I'm not sad because you're here**_

_**Can you keep a secret?**_

Thoughts raced through Sora's head. They debated on and on: _To tell or not to tell?_ But his mind asked again: _Not saying anything is worse, isn't it? _And then his mind answered: _It is ..._

_**Or is this the secret?**_

"Okay," he said at last, followed by a heavy sigh. "I'll tell you ..."

(**A/N**: I know that took freakin forever to post, but i have major homework over here -- i got a research paper, a classic novel book report, and a book on the holocaust to read all for the same teacher ... my language arts teacher ... now can somebody pleeeezzz explain to me what the heck genocide has to do with LA, cuz i'd really like to know ... anywayz, becuz of the three stupid project things, it might be a while before the next chapter is up, so don't freak out if it's not there, k? k. r&r!)


	8. Fall to Pieces

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, or Final Fantasy Characters used, unfortunately ... that would be really, really, really cool if I did ... don't you agree? Anybody wanna buy the rights to it for me? They'd be the coolest person in the world if they did! So, anybody wanna volunteer to pitch in for me?**

(**A/N:** Haha I bet you guys all thought I died! Nah, I'm back. Sorry, I was having serious writer's block. Plus I didn't have much time on my hands, but hey, I wrote two oneshots that I think are pretty good, so if you wanna check those out go ahead. Silent Confessions and Boxing Up the Memories.)

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Fall to Pieces**

And so, Sora went on to tell Kairi all about the previous few day's events, from the anxiety he had felt when his mother had told him about her job interview, to the anger he had felt shortly after that. But most importantly, he told her about how furious he had gotten when he had feared that he would have to move away ... from her.

"Oh," Kairi said once he had finished his explaination. The reason for his little emotional loss-of-control didn't seem as urgent as she had thought it to be. Trying to hide these thoughts, she asked, "Is that all?"

"Well, yeah," Sora said. He realized that he hadn't made his reasoning seem important enough, but that didn't matter. At least she knew now what was going on.

Kairi stood and made her way over to Sora, wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head against his chest. "It's okay, Sora. Nothing bad will happen," she reassured him.

As much as Sora wanted to believe this, he couldn't help but think that somehting would in fact go wrong. Moving away from her ... not being able to see her again ... it had happened before ... and it would hurt just as much, if not more, if it happened again. Sora looked down at Kairi and wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't lose her, not again, not after all he had done to get back to her. No ... he wouldn't let it happen ... but how could he prevent it?

Kairi looked up at Sora, her eyes meeting his, and said, "After all of that, are you still in the mood for a movie?"

Honestly, Sora wasn't in the mood, but he wouldn't let that spoil Kairi's night. He smiled down at her, placing a quick kiss on her lips and said, "Sure. But, what movie are we going to see? We never agreed on that before."

The girl looked off at an angle, as if thinking, and then she shrugged. "Now that I think about it, there's really nothing good playing in the theaters ..." Then she looked back at Sora, an idea striking her. "We could have a movie night here. I've got popcorn ... We can just order a movie OnDemand or something." She giggled. "It'll be just as fun, right Sora?"

_**I look away**_

_**Then I look back at you**_

_**You try to say**_

_**The things that you can't undo**_

Sora smiled. It sounded like a good idea to him, too. He nodded and said, "Okay. I'll make the popcorn, and you can pick out the movie."

Kairi pulled away and put her hands on her hips. "Promise you won't complain about whatever I pick?"

The boy nodded. "Promise." And with that, he headed into the kitchen and began rummaging around for popcorn.

After searching through most of the drawers, finding most of them empty, considering who it was that lived in the house, and the fridge, he began digging through the pantry. Finally, he found a box of 94 fat free butter popcorn. Sora smirked, shaking his head in disapproval. "Geez, Kairi, where's the real popcorn?" he shouted across the house to Kairi, who was busilly searching for a good movie to watch. "Wait, don't tell me you think you're fat!"

He heard her laugh in response, and she returned his shouts with one of her own. "It's healthy food, Sora, healthy. Hah, not like you know the meaning of the word!"

Sora shook his head and pulled out two bags from the box, slamming the pantry door behind him, and making his way over to the microwave to cook them.

A few minutes later, he headed back into the living room with two steaming bags of popcorn and handed one to Kairi, adding, "For you, madam," as he placed it in her hands. She smiled and thanked him, pressing the play button on her remote and starting the movie. Sora made sure to turn the lights off before sitting down beside her and shoving a handfull of the popcorn in his mouth, learning the hard way that it was still hot.

The movie started getting good after a few minutes, though Sora had no idea what it was called or what it was about, for he had never seen it before. Kairi was pretty into the movie, so he decided not to bother her with questions about it, deciding it best to just relax and enjoy the show.

After a while, Sora could sense Kairi growing tired. She had long since finished off her popcorn and had tossed it carelessly aside, but she had become quiet, completely drawn into the movie. Sora didn't care for it much, himself, but he had promised not to complain.

Then, with a yawn, Kairi placed her head on Sora's shoulder and let out a sigh. As Sora put his arm around the girl, enjoying the feel of her body leaned against his, he couldn't help but stare at her. She didn't notice him staring, for she was too busy devoting her attention to the movie. But he was watching her ... how she breathed slowly but steadily, batting her eyes every once in a while ... how her legs were curled up tight beside her so that she could use Sora as a pillow more comfortably ... how her arms were daintily resting against his side, as if bracing herself ...

... she looked ... so calm ... so peaceful ... without a care in the world.

_**If I had my way**_

_**I'd never get over you**_

Sora only wished he could be more like her, more carefree, anyway. He didn't want to have to worry about leaving again.

Everyday without her was torture, and he had put up with it for too long.

He wouldn't leave her again. He couldn't leave her again. He didn't think either of them could bear it.

_**Today's the day**_

_**I pray that we make it through**_

_**Make it through the fall**_

_**Make it through it all**_

"This is a pretty good movie, don't you think, Sora?" Kairi asked without taking her attention off of the television.

"Shh ..." Sora said, and Kairi obliged, not bothering to look at him She just figured he was into the movie just as much as she was. But, really, he was enjoying just looking at her, enjoying her company without a need for words. She was so beautiful. So kind-hearted. So perfect.

Sora smiled to himself, leaned down, and placed a gentle kiss on Kairi's cheek. Briefly, she looked up at him and returned the smile, and then she averted her gaze back to the movie, snuggling up a bit closer to Sora. He held her tighter in response.

The boy couldn't help but wonder why it was that simple moments like this were so divine, why they meant so much, why they were so cherished, when there was really nothing that special about them. But he figured, it was just all part of being in love.

_**And I don't wanna fall to pieces**_

_**I just want to sit and stare at you**_

_**I don't want to talk about it**_

He couldn't lose her. He had to find a way to make sure that he never lost her.

Finally, the room grew even darker as the credits rolled across the TV screen. Kairi sat up, pulling away from Sora, and stretched her arms out. She yawned and just sat there for a minute, her hands in her lap, before she turned to Sora with a grin on her face. "Well, I have to say, that was a pretty good movie. What do you think?"

Sora didn't answer her right away. Instead, he met her lips with his, pulling her into a tender, sweet kiss, one that only lasted a few seconds, and then he pulled away. "I thought it was very good," he lied.

Kairi smiled, as if sensing that he wasn't telling her the truth, and put her hands on her hips again. "You didn't really pay attention to it, did you?" she asked accusingly.

The boy laughed and shook his head. "No, not really," he answered honestly.

"Aw, Sora ..." Kairi whined, but she was quickly silenced as Sora put a finger to her lips.

"Shh, don't speak," he said, lowering his voice. Then he leaned in for another kiss, this one far more passionate than the last. Kairi let her arms find their way around his neck, as if they just belonged there, and gave herself to the kiss. She was actually enjoying this one ... it wasn't forced, like it had been just a few hours ago.

_**And I don't need a conversation**_

_**I just want to cry in front of you**_

_**I don't want to talk about it**_

_**Cuz I'm in love with you**_

Sora leaned in farther, to deepen the kiss, gently pushing Kairi backwards so that she was laying down on the sofa, but Kairi didn't mind. She found herself pushing back just as much, starting a battle between their tongues. The kisses got deeper and deeper until they could go no further, became slower, more drawn-out and intense.

Finally, feeling the urgent need to breathe, Sora and Kairi pulled apart. Kairi's hands still stayed wrapped around Sora's neck, and a gorgeous smile had crept upon her face as she gazed into Sora's eyes. They were, if possible, a deeper blue than ever before. Sora, in turn, as he gazed right back into her eyes, thought that hers sparkled with a radiance never before seen. Sora returned Kairi's smile with a goofy, lopsided one of his own, causing her to laugh at the sight. It was a wonderful moment shared between them, even as no words were said.

_**You're the only one**_

_**I'd be with till the end**_

_**And when I come undone**_

_**You bring me back again**_

_**Back under the star**_

_**Back into your arms**_

Finally, ending the silence, Sora placed another quick kiss on his love's forehead, and said, "I love you, Kai." Then, after a moment's hesitation that earned him another loving smile from the girl, he added, in a softer tone, "I would never hurt you. You know that, right?"

_**And I don't wanna fall to pieces**_

_**I just want to sit and stare at you**_

Kairi's smile faded for some reason, possibly because she was being reminded of the night's previous events. He had come so close to hurting her then ... but then again, that wasn't really him at the time. When she saw concern begin to form in the boy's expression, she quickly responded with. "Of course I know that, Sora." When his expression did not change, she kissed him quickly on the lips and added, "I love you, too."

_**I don't want to talk about it**_

_**And I don't need a conversation**_

_**I just want to cry in front of you**_

_**I don't want to talk about it**_

_**Cuz I'm in love with you**_

Sora, though unconvinced that she believed he wouldn't hurt her, smiled, even if it was a nervous one, and backed away, allowing Kairi to sit back up. Kairi gave him a questioning look, as if wondering what was wrong, though she figured he had sinced her insincerity. An akward silence fell between them, neither of them sure what to say. Sora cast a quick glance to a clock on the wall, noticing that it was nearing 10 pm, and decided that he'd best be heading home. "I better get going," he said, scratching the back of his head nervously and getting to his feet. "Sorry, Kai. I had fun but ... I gotta go." As Kairi rose as well, he began to make his way to the door, not entirely sure what was coming over him. He just had a strange feeling that he needed to leave, that staying any longer would only make things more uncomfortable.

_**Wanna know who you are**_

_**Wanna know where to start**_

_**I wanna know what this means**_

As he approached the door, he could hear Kairi following close behind. "Aw, are you sure you can't stay longer?" she inquired, trying to sound just a little bit seductive, but she failed miserably, only making the situation even more uncomfortable.

Sora stopped when he reached the front door and sighed. As much as he wanted to stay with her ... the desire to get away was stronger. "I can't, Kai, I'm sorry. Mom says she'll be home first thing in the morning and ... I have a lot of questions to ask her ... heh." He carefully pulled the door open and stepped outside, turning around to face Kairi, who was now standing in the doorframe.

Kairi let out a sigh, not wanting Sora to leave, but knowing that he had his reasons. "Look," she said, "I'm sorry--"

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Sora said, stepping up to her and placing a hand on her cheek. He kissed her one last time, tenderly, and then backed away. "Love you," he said, and he started out for home.

"'Bye!" Kairi called out after him, and she closed the door behind her, locking it. Then she slid down to the floor, her back still against the door, and let out a sigh. _Well, that was a strange night,_ she thought, replaying its events in her head, blaming herself for 'scaring Sora away.' _Why did I have to sound like I was lying? Of course he'd never hurt you, Kai! He risked his life to save yours! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

_**Wanna know how you feel**_

_**Wanna know what is real**_

_**I wanna know everything, everything ...**_

But Sora, on the other hand, was blaming himself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he said, scolding himself aloud. _Why did I have to let my emotions get the better of me? Why did I have to fall to pieces like that? _He kicked the ground in frustration. _Kairi's afraid of me now ... she hesitated ... it was so obvious she's afraid ... Oh, what am I going to do now?_ He just had to find a way to prevent losing her again but ... with the way things were now, what was he supposed to do?

_**And I don't wanna fall to pieces**_

_**I just want to sit and stare at you**_

_**I don't want to talk about it**_

_**And I don't need a conversation**_

_**I just want to cry in front of you**_

_**I don't want to talk about it**_

_**Cuz I'm in love with you**_

Then a thought struck him like a blow to the face. He knew exactly who could help him out ...

(**A/N: **FINALLY! Another chapter! Sorry it's so short. Again, I was gonna combine this one and the next one, but that would make it waaayyyy too long, and I kinda wanted the next one to be a seperate chapter anyway so ... yeah. Who do you think he's gonna talk to? Lol, bet a lot of you can guess. Yeah, so, added lots o' fluff in this one. But I kinda had to get it out of the way so ... yeah, I'm sure you understand. But hey, got over my writer's block!)


	9. Coming Undone

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, Disney, Final Fantasy Characters, etc, etc, that i may have used, unfortunately ... But I've been saving up my money! I have a whole $130 that I've managed not to spend! Thats a lot for me ... and I don't like shopping. The money just ... goes away ... to who knows where. Honestly ... I have no clue where my money keeps going ...**

(**A/N: **Woohoo ... back again ... and out for the summer! YESS! Well, at least for this week anyway. Goin so summer school the next 3 weeks for, like, 6 riddiculous hours a day. Geez. But, I gotta get my health credit outta the way so I dont have to take it in highschool. Yup. Gonna be a freshman. From top dog to underdog in just 3 little months. How ... sad, I guess. No, more like ... awkward. Cuz at the same time I'm happy to be getting out of my freakishly poor middle school that promises the yearbooks are gonna b in color and then gets all cheap at the last minute ... arrghh! Well, you know, such is life. Oh yeah and, just so you guys know, cuz im really proud of myself, I beat KH2 ... twice ... and now I'm working on getting that secret ending I've heard about. Watching it in japanese on Youtube only goes so far ... cuz i dunno bout you people but I'm uno-lengual. Okay! Enough rambling ... its just that I stopped writing for so long so I could get "vibe" back that I missed doing this authors note stuff lol. Yeah! So! On with the story!)

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Coming Undone**

"So, tell me again why you came to get me in the middle of the night?" asked a perplexed Riku as he stood in his doorway, facing an obviously exhausted Sora. "I mean, even I dont go to bed that early on the weekends ... but this is really unlike you, Sora." He leaned cooly against the wooden frame of the door and crossed his arms. "What's up?"

Sora really didn't like those last two words. They meant ... more explainations. Sora's head was already pounding as waves upon waves of thoughts crashed into his skull in painful throbs. Of course, he knew Riku was the only one who could help him now. After all, Riku had been in relationships, before ... well, you know. But Sora really, really didn't want to have to explain it all again. _Maybe I should have thought about that before I came to Riku._

The brunette sighed and let his body hunch over and his arms dangle below himself as he exhaled. Just the position he was in screamed that he was tired of all of this, that he was clearly under stress. _But I guess I have no choice._

"Can I come in?" he asked his silver-haired friend. "It ... It's a long story, and I'd really like to sit down."

"You don't have to ask, stupid," Riku said, preparing to step out of the way, but then he noticed Sora hadn't waited for a reply. The boy was already staggering into the living room, dragging his feet underneath him like lead weights, heading for the nearest sofa. Riku shrugged and pulled the front door closed, locking it before heading off to find his friend.

He found Sora lying on his back on the couch in the living room, taking up by himself what could have seated three people. Riku, with a small laugh and a shake of his head, seated himself across from Sora in an armchair and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared intently at Sora, waiting for the boy to say something, but Sora was obviously more interested in the stark white ceiling, for that was what he was focusing on. Realizing that this conversation was going nowhere, and was otherwise unexistant, Riku took the initiative to start it.

And so, he started it simply. "Tell me what happened."

Sora winced at the order, even though he knew it was coming. Right about now he wanted to tell Riku to shut up and find another drowsy, half-awake, and just plain tired kid to bother, but he stopped himself for two reasons, the first being that words could not begin to describe how annoyed he was with having to relay the story again, and the second being that he was the one who had asked for Riku's help, and Sora figured they wouldn't get anything accomplished if he told him to shove off. So, with a groan, Sora began to confess what was wrong ... again.

_**What's happening?**_

_**I don't know what's gotten into me**_

_**So strange, this feeling I've got**_

_**And I don't want to fall apart**_

_**So please tell me what's going on**_

_**'Cause I don't know if I can hold on**_

_**And I don't want to fall apart**_

_**But I'm coming undone**_

"I see ..." Riku took a moment to take it all in. Sora had really rushed in explaining things, most likely because he wanted to get it over with. But he got the basic idea of Sora's delimma. "So, you're afraid that if your mom gets the job, you'll leave ..." he stated, trying to make the long story short, and then seeing the look on Sora's face, added, "... again ... and you're upset because you don't want to leave Kairi, especially since you guys are together and everything now." He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. "And you kinda told her you would come back to her, implying that you would stay once you did come back." He sat up straight again, throwing his arms up into the air as a gesture. "I don't see why you're so paranoid."

"Paranoid? Paranoid!" Sora bolted up into a seated position and looked over at Riku, his eyes wide with a sudden burst of energy. "You think I'm being paranoid?"

Riku grunted as if this was a really stupid statement on Sora's behalf. "Actually, yes," he said, "I think you're being paranoid."

"I am not being paranoid! This is not being paranoid!" Sora said, raising his voice to make his point, even though he wasn't phasing Riku. "This ... this is being ..." He dropped his hands down to his side and looked off at an angle, trying to find a word to replace "paranoid." But it seemed the only way he could change the sentence to make it truthful would be to say, "This is being in love," but he didn't dare say that. Riku wouldn't shut up about him being a sap for months if he said that!

"Uh huh. See? Paranoia. Now, we just gotta get that out of your head," Riku said, using one arm to gesture as if he were swatting away the idea.

Sora rested his head in his hands out of frustration. "I don't know how, Riku! That's why I came to you for help! But so far, we've gotten nowhere!"

"Geez, Sora, you're so impatient," the older boy said. Then he decided to take the conversation in a different direction. "Okay then, what would make you feel better about this whole ... ordeal?"

Sora didn't hesitate to answer that question. "If I could just find a way to make sure I didn't have to leave her again ... I would feel so much better about this. But right now ... I just know something bad's going to happen. It's just my luck, Riku. Something bad always happens."

"It does not!" Riku said in a tone meant to make Sora feel like an idiot. "You're just taking things too seriously," and then he added, quietly, in hopes that Sora wouldn't hear him, "like always."

Sora did hear him, and for a moment, he could feel the anger pulsing through his veins, but with a deep breath, it subsided. He considered Riku's point. Maybe he was taking things too seriously ... and from his friends last two words, he guessed it wasn't the first time.

"Look, you know the chances of something bad happening are, like, a billion to one," Riku continued, throwing a number out there.

The brunette sighed. "I know, but ..." and then he stopped himself. _But what? _he asked himself._ Riku has a point! Don't deny it! You know, you really are being para-_

"Stop!" Sora shouted, and then, realizing what he had just done, he looked at Riku. The boy was clearly taken aback by this outburst. Sora tried to say something, maybe apologize for shouting, but nothing came out of his mouth. He slammed a fist down on the couch beside himself. _Get a grip, Sora, _he told himself in an attempt to calm down, but he was really avoiding the question he wanted to ask. _What's wrong with me?_

"If you want me to stop trying to help you, you don't have to yell," Riku said, glancing at Sora with one eyebrow raised quizically.

"No, no, no, it's not you!" Sora said gesturing with his hands.

Riku crossed his arms. "Then what is it? What do you want from me? How can I help? Because right now, I really have no idea why you bothered to come here!"

Sora sighed again, and stared at the ground. He felt terrible, but whethere it was because he knew he was annoying his best friend or because of his ... paranoia ... Sora had no idea. He knew he desperately needed Riku's help, and he knew Riku was willing to help him, but right now, he was just wasting Riku's time. It was high time he fessed up about what he really needed.

_**Tearing at the edges**_

_**Torn in both directions**_

_**I've got a mission**_

_**But I'm hung on what's been happening**_

_**My world is spinning**_

_**Out of control**_

_**And I don't know what to do**_

_**That's why I came to you**_

_**So tell me ...**_

"What can I do to make sure I won't lose Kairi," Sora asked, "you know, in case something does happen?"

Riku stifled a laugh. "That's all?"

Sora glared at him. "What's so funny?" he demanded.

The silver-haired teen shook his head. "Man, you're not gonna lose her! You couldn't lose her if you tried! Well, short of cheating on her, anyway ... not like you would try or anything anyway!" He added, seeing the angry look on Sora's face. Then, he stood and made his way over to Sora, sitting down beside him and resting a hand on his shoulder. "Sora, Kairi loves you more than anything ... I would know, she told me ... And besides, I know you love her too. You wouldn't be with her if you didn't!" He grinned at Sora, but the boy only returned it with a pathetic, weak one of his own, not his trademark, stunning, toothy smile that would make any girl's heart melt.

"I just ... I don't know," was all Sora could say once the grin faded from his face. Riku looked at him with a concerned expression. "I-I mean of course I love her! Don't get me wrong! I would do anything for Kairi ... It's just that I don't know what to do ... My God, Riku, what's wrong with me?"

_**What's happening?**_

_**I don't know what's gotten into me**_

_**So strange, this feeling I've got**_

_**And I don't want to fall apart**_

_**So please tell me what's going on**_

_**'Cause I don't know if I can hold on**_

_**And I don't want to fall apart**_

_**But I'm coming undone**_

Riku laughed. "You're just a sad, lovesick, exhausted kid ..." He slapped Sora hard on the back. "... and since you're about to fall asleep any second now, let's get started on solving all your problems, shall we?"

Sora, paying no attention to his heavy eyelids, nodded. That was about all he could bring himself to do at that point.

"So," Riku continued, "you came to me because you're depressed and, like I said before, paranoid."

"I'm not--" Sora began, but he realized arguing was no use, so he gave in. "Alright, I admit it, I'm slightly paranoid, but you would be too if you were in my situation!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure ... not that I've ever actually been in love but sure!" That wasn't entirely true, but Riku wasn't about to admit to Kairi's boyfriend that he had been in love with her once. Not that Sora was clueless about this, but he had enough decency not to say anything.

_**Anxiety persisting**_

_**Emotions always twisting**_

_**Well I'm calm**_

_**And that's a mystery to me**_

_**I've been tripping up**_

_**On my own words**_

_**My sanity's slipping away**_

_**I'm not sure what to say**_

_**'Cause I don't know ...**_

"What do I do?" Sora asked after taking a few moments to get his thoughts in order.

Riku thought for a minute and said, "Well, short of marrying her, there's really nothing you can do!" and he smiled again.

"B-But we're not even sixteen!" Sora stammered. "She ... she'd think I'm crazy if I asked her to marry me! She'd never agree to it!"

Riku burst out laughing. "Geez, Sora, I was kidding!" he managed to say between laughs. "Heh ... but man! The look on your face was priceless!"

The other boy could feel heat rising in his cheeks from embarrassment, but he managed to smile. He really had thought Riku was being serious, and now he realized how stupid his mistake was. It was funny. No, it was really funny, especially right now. Heck, he would have laughed 'till he died had he not been so distraught. The urge to laugh and the urge to break down and cry were battling furiously inside his mind, and his head was throbbing again. His mouth would twitch into a smile and then fade back to a straight line again. Sora ended up choking on his own laughter and, instead of laughing or crying, just coughed really loudly.

Riku's laughter slowly ceased after that. "You okay, Sora?" he asked. When Sora just replied with another cough, he said, in dry humor, "Don't die on me, man. That would really suck right now. Kairi wouldn't be too happy with you."

At the mention of his girlfriend's name, Sora remembered what this whole conversation had been about, why this little meeting of theirs had commenced in the first place. He began to tug nervously on his unruly spikes on top of his head, feeling like he was about to lose it any second now. Yet strangely enough, he managed to stay in one piece. However, he did sit silently, just thinking, for so long that Riku was beginning to get worried.

_**What's happening?**_

_**I don't know what's gotten into me**_

_**So strange, this feeling I've got**_

_**And I don't want to fall apart**_

_**So please tell me what's going on**_

_**'Cause I don't know if I can hold on**_

_**And I don't want to fall apart**_

_**But I'm coming undone**_

"Sora .. you sure you're okay--"

"I guess," Sora began, cutting Riku off, "I had just fought for so long, had searched for you guys for so long, had been without you two, my best friends, for so long that I forgot what it was like to have you two back with me ... Kairi especially, you know, since she was ... heartless, asleep, whatever you want to call it, for so long. When we were all finally reunited and could come back to the island to live out the rest of our lives ... peacefully, I hope ... it all just felt so unfamiliar." He sat up a bit straighter and stared blankly at the windowed wall across from him, behind the chair that Riku had been sitting in before. "Everything, and everyone, had changed, ourselves included. We know about other worlds now, and that urge to go out and find them is gone, because we've been there, Riku, we've actually been there. And, I mean I can't speak for you but the whole time I was gone I wanted to come back." He sighed. "Since I've been back ... I really don't know what's been happening to me ... It's like I'm constantly afraid to leave again, you know?" He shot a quick glance at Riku before turning his attention back to the wall.

Riku nodded. "I know," he said. "Well, I guess I know, anyway."

"But it's different for me," Sora insisted. "If you left, you'd be leaving behind your two best friends, sure. But if I left ... I'd be leaving behind so much more than that. I'd be leaving behind the one person I love more than anything else, the one person I gave my heart up to save, the one person I searched for a way back to because I gave her my word. I promised I would come back ... and having to leave again so soon would be like breaking the promise." He shook his head. "I couldn't handle that, not again."

_**My heart starts racing**_

_**My head splits in two**_

_**And then my other side intrudes**_

_**I'm fighting back the urge to break loose**_

_**'Cause I'm not sure**_

_**What to choose ...**_

Sora looked at Riku, expecting a reply. Riku sighed. "Look, Sora, bad things happen. That's called life. You can't always prevent them from happening. But what you can do is--"

"--make the most of life while you still can," Sora finished.

Riku smiled. "My thoughts exactly."

_**What's happening?**_

_**I don't know what's gotten into me**_

_**So strange, this feeling I've got**_

_**And I don't want to fall apart**_

_**So please tell me what's going on**_

_**'Cause I don't know if I can hold on**_

_**And I don't want to fall apart**_

_**But I'm coming undone**_

"And I love Kairi, that's for sure, and Kairi loves me. People like us don't just give up on each other because of stuff like that!" Sora smiled, his being filled with new-found courage and relief. "If something happened, she ... she'd understand."

"Heh," Riku said, "looks like you just solved your own problem."

"Yeah!" Sora let out a small laugh. "Man, that was simpler than I thought!"

"Like I said," Riku began, getting to his feet, "you always take things too seriously." After a sigh, he added, "We probably wouldn't be here if you didn't." He turned to face Sora again, hoping to catch another priceless look on his face ...

... but instead, found him asleep on the couch.

Riku through his arms up in the air. "Yeah, sure, you can sleep over! Don't bother waiting for an invitation! Just make yourself at home!" He grunted. "Lazy little ..." but, unfortunately, he couldn't find the right word, so he made his way toward the livingroom entrance. But he stopped once he got there to turn and take one last look at his snoring friend, and he rolled his eyes.

"You're hopeless, you know that, Sora?"

And he left the room.

(**A/N:** Yay, another chapter. Okay, be nice and click that lil button down there by "submit review" or whatever it says.)


	10. Save Me Tonight

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, Disney, Final Fantasy Characters, etc, etc, that i may have used, unfortunately. However, if I found out that by some strange occurance I was the heiress to these awesome things, I would be forced to inflict pain upon myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Thank you for understanding.**

(**A/N: **yay another chapter! getting close to the end now, let's see, this is chapter ... nine? yeah, there'll be about twelve or thirteen chapters, somewhere around there. oh and the song for this one is put in the story kinda a different way. and not all spaced out. yup, this chapters gonna be long. it's a turning point, and it may have some stuff in it you kind of don't understand, but all will be explained eventually. now! on with the story!)

**CHAPTER NINE: Save Me Tonight**

Sora awoke the next morning feeling like his face had been smashed flat. Well, he wasn't in pain or anything, but his cheeks were being pushed inward, his mouth was open in a sort of fish-face, and he could hardly breathe. He just felt ... squished!

It was then that he was lying in a rather uncomfortable position on a rather uncomfortable couch with his face rather uncomfortably sandwiched between two rather uncomfortable throw pillows with his hand subconsciously pressing the top one down harder upon his head ... rather uncomfortably.

The boy, realizing that his position was quite ... odd ... and probably looked like he was trying to smother himself, jumped up from his position so that he was now kneeling on the couch cushions, tossing the throw pillows carelessly out of sight in one swift movement. Only then did he begin to look around. It took a while for his surroundings to completely sink in, so before that, he was in a state of shock. Then the previous night's events hit him hard, and he knew where he was. _This isn't my house, it's--_

"Haha! Dude, you look so funny!"

Sora jumped a little at the sudden outburst of the person who had been standing in the doorway, and he twisted to face none other than Riku, clutching his stomach as he pointed and laughed at the spikey-haired brunette.

"Aw, man ... what time is it?" Sora said, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light pouring in from the windows around him

Riku took a split second to stop laughing, glance at his wrist watch, and reply. "Quarter to one."

"Oh, okay ..." Sora said, stretching and yawning like he always did when he awoke. Then his eyes grew really wide really fast, and he snapped out of that position. "A quarter to one? 12:45? Holy crap! Did I seriously sleep that late?" He leaned over the back of the sofa, gripping it. "Damn it, Riku, why didn't you wake me up?"

"Woah, chill, Sora, it's Saturday," Riku responded, holding his hands out in front of him in a defensive gesture. Then he smiled. "Besides, you looked too funny when I walked in here. You were all snoring and stuff and drooling and your face was scrunched together ... freaking hilarious stuff there! And you've got creases on your face!"

At that comment, Sora's hands immediately flew to his cheeks, and he pulled them down his face, as if to stretch it out. Then, after bringing his hands back down to his sides, he blinked hard twice. "Ugh ..." he mumbled groggily.

"Anyways, I just woke up, too, so don't feel bad," Riku said. Then he grunted. "It was the weirdest thing ... I woke up because my cell phone was ringing, and it was your mom, of all people. I mean, how'd she get my cell phone number? I know I've known you forever ... I guess I'm kinda like her second son ... but seriously, man, that's just weird. Never thought I'd have to say this, but tell your mom to stop calling me! Dang, that sounded wrong--"

"Woah, wait a minute," Sora said, butting in. "Back up. My mom called? You mean she's home?"

"Yeah," Riku said with a nod. "She was wondering where you were. Told her you spent the night here ..."

Sora groaned and hoisted himself over the back of the couch, landing on the other side with a _thud!_ "I need to get home," he stated sternly, starting to walk past his best friend, but Riku stopped him.

"I wouldn't normally care, Sora, 'cause I'm a teenager too, but ..." He raised an eyebrow and eyed his best friend critically. " ... you look gross. Go ... take a shower or something."

Sora took a minute to examine himself ... and he agreed with Riku. He stunk, his hair was practically matted, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how bad his breath smelled. So, on Riku's order, he dashed upstairs, into the hall bathroom, and took a shower.

After bathing, putting the clothes he was wearing back on, running a comb that Riku gave him through his hair, and borrowing an extra toothbrush that Riku had to brush his teeth, he headed home, feeling very refreshed and awake. However, once he stepped through his front door, he was tackled by his mother.

"Oh, Sora!" she exclaimed, squeezing him in a tight embrace. "I feel like I haven't seen you for weeks!"

The boy was about to retaliate, but then he remembered that this was "normal", well, for his mother anyway, and just responded with an, "I missed you too ... Mom ... heh."

"When I came home and the house was empty, I was afraid something bad might have happened to you!" She sighed. "I just have to remember that you're not a little boy anymore ... You've just grown up so fast ..."

_Okay ... this is a little awkward, even for her._ The first explaination for his mother's behavior that popped into Sora's mind was that she had been drinking again, but he couldn't pick up any trace of alcohol on her breath. Deciding this wasn't the best time to confuse himself, Sora simply shrugged off her behavior and gently freed himself from her embrace with the classic line, "Mom, I can't breathe."

After his mother apologized and let go of him completely, he made his way to the living room and plopped down on the couch, remote in hand, and flipping through the channels aimlessly, all the while conversing with his mother about the past few days' occurrences as she heated up soup in the kitchen for them to eat. Sora purposely tried to avoid steering the chat toward his mother's job interview, but he knew that eventually the topic would be brought up. And, much to Sora's dismay, it was.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that my job interview went well," his mother randomly stated as she stirred the soup.

"Hmm." Sora tried to give as vague of a reply as possible, because his mother was blissfully unaware of how wrong she was.

"They were very nice people," she said, continuing automatically after her son's response. "They asked a lot of questions, of course, and I tried to give them intelligent answers, but you know me ... I have my blonde moments too." She chuckled, following it up with a sigh as she glanced at her son over the kitchen counter. "Can you believe they wanted me to stay even longer? Claimed all of their potential employees were staying, just so, you know, they could follow up the interview, or something like that. It is a very important position, after all. But I said, 'No way! My son's birthday's in a week! It's his sweet sixteen and I need to start cleaning up now if I'm gonna have that many teenagers in my house at once! That's just an accident waiting to happen!' They understood so they let me go, and I jumped on the earliest ferry and got back here as fast as I could, thinking, 'Sora's probably out of Cheez-It's by now ... you know how much your son loves food,' but what do you know, there's still a full box in there, and we did have soup ... hmm ..." She smiled and stared down at the steaming soup she was cooking as if it were the least bit entertaining.

Sora, on the other hand, was too busy running over his mother's words. _"Can you velieve they wanted me to stay even longer?"_ No, he couldn't believe it, but that was just his luck, and he knew better than to start worrying about this all over again. But then, _"My son's birthday is in a week!"_ Now, that was something to worry about. Was it really that soon?

"Guess I ... should start planning my party, then," Sora said, an emotionless tone gracing his words. But then he grinned. _Sixteen, huh?_ That was something to be happy about, even if he did have a party to stress over. Birthdays were always worth while to him, and he'd have to make up for the one that he'd missed.

His mother smiled as she now busied herself with taking out two bowls and ladeling soup into them. "Oh, I'm so excited! Your sweet sixteen! How fun ... I remember mine like it was just yesterday ... But you know, more than three hormone-infested teens in my house at once is a little too many ..."

"I could have it at the beach, Mom," Sora suggested.

"Now that's a fantastic idea!" his mother said, and then she laughed at herself. "Oh! Sora! Heh, the soup's ready."

And upon hearing those words, Sora made his way to the kitchen to eat his first meal on the first somewhat worry-free day he'd had in a long time.

Sora knocked on Kairi's bathroom door. "Anybody home?"

"Nope, nobody."

The boy growled in mock-frustration. "Hurry up, Kai. You're gonna make me late to my own party!" He felt kind of stupid talking to her this way. He might has well have been arguing with the door.

"I'm still getting ready, Sora!" she shouted back as she applied more makeup. Kairi didn't normally wear much, but this was one of those "special occasions." "I'm a girl. These things take time, you know!"

Sora leaned up against her bedroom wall, just beside the door. "C'mon! I said the party started at eight on the invitations which means we need to be there ..." He glanced at his wristwatch and his eyes grew wide. "... five minutes ago! What the--"

"Sora, if you're so worried about being late to your own party then get going and I'll catch up!"

"Now, wait a minute, Kairi," Sora said in his "cool tone," gesturing to the girl as if she could see his hand movements, "I always have time to escort my date to any party."

"Oh, trying to be a ladies' man, are we?" He heard her suppress a laugh. "Well in that case, you get to wait. Happy birthday!"

The boy rolled his eyes, but he was content with waiting all the same. _Anything for her ..._

So, while he waited, the boy decided to take a little stroll around his girlfriend's room, looking at all the pictures adorning the walls. They brought back so many memories, ones that pained him to think he might have forgotten at one point in time. All of his friends in the pictures -- Tidus, Selphie, Wakka, Riku ... Kairi ...-- he had missed them so much while he was gone. But the thought of them, Riku and Kairi especially, had kept him going.

"So, you bummed that you didn't get a car?" Kairi asked him, her voice a bit muffled by the door that stood between them.

"Nah," Sora replied, his eyes still wandering the room. "I understand why my mom couldn't get me one. We're not 'financially stable,' as she puts it, since she doesn't have a job right now and ... well, neither do I." He wandered toward the girl's dresser, noticing a rather large black frame positioned on top of it. "Besides," he continued, "I kind of got used to walking, you know, while I was gone."

Kairi laughed. "I bet you have legs of steel now, Sora. All those miles and miles of practically running track ..."

Sora was looking right at the picture in the frame by now, his face just inches from it, and just the sight made him smile. It was one of him and Kairi, that Riku had obviously taken, at the beach, soaking, covered in sand and seaweed, and not caring one bit. They were so young and reckless, with nothing to worry about. But that was before ...

The boy tilted his head to one side, running a finger along the edge of the frame, and he began to wonder. _If none of that had happened ... if darkness, the Keyblade, and Kingdom Hearts had never happened ... what would our lives be like now? Would we have taken the raft out to sea? Would Kairi have ever seen what I added to our drawing in the Secret Place? Would Riku have changed as much as he has? Would Kairi and I be ..._

Then something else caught his attention. A small purple notebook was lying open next to the picture, a simple black pen sticking out of its folds. But what was interesting to Sora was that there was writing on the page it was open to. At first, Sora had the urge to read it, but then he stopped himself, thinking about what Kairi would say to him if it was her diary and he had been caught reading it. Yet, the words seemed to be written in a sort of pattern, and there was a title to it, much unlike a diary entry. And so, out of curiosity, the boy began to read it.

_Kairi writes ... poetry?_

"Something wrong, Sora?"

Sora immediately stopped what he was doing and turned to face his girlfriend. "Oh, n-no," he stammered nervously, "just l-looking at the picture," and he flashed her a nervous grin. Then he took the time to admire his date. She was dressed in simple, outgoing attire, with just the right amount of makeup on, but it was the elegant way which she presented herself that completed her look, and Sora liked it. "Shall we?" he asked, extending his arm to her, more to be funny than to be polite.

She smiled and daintily linked her arm through his. "Yes, we shall."

By the time they reached the party, they were fifteen minutes late. But nobody really cared, so long as the host of the party was finally there.

The party took place at the cove of the detatched island where they used to play, and when they arrived, all of the guests, which consisted of Riku, Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, and a few of their friends from school, had already arrived and lit a huge bonfire on the beach. The moment Sora set foot on the shore, Selphie and Tidus grabbed him by the wrists and yanked him over to where his presents were piled, insisting that he open them all now so they could have as much time as possible afterwards to dance, swim, and wreak havoc. So, on order, Sora tore open his gifts, thanking Riku for a skateboard, Tidus for a black sweatshirt with some strange graphic on the front, Wakka for his ... blitzball ("Ya, I figured it was your turn to have it. I got a new one and me and Tidus here gotta teach you the game anyway, ain't that right, man?"), Selphie for his new shoes (which were black with a very large yellow logo on the sides), Kairi for a very intricate keychain (she insisted it would be for his car keys if he ever managed to get a car, not by any means for a weapon), and the rest of his friends for things such as a giftcard, cash, and a digital camera that looked awfully expensive.

After that, they wen't straight to the dancing.

Wakka seemingly pulled a boom box out of thin air, popped in a CD he burned, and began to play the DJ role. Sora was yanked off of his feet and on to a patch of sand that was deemed the "dance floor" by Kairi, who insisted he dance whether he wanted to or not. After one dance with Kairi, they traded dance partners, and he danced with Selphie while Tidus danced with Kairi. After that song, he danced once more with Kairi, and then he collapsed against his pile of new gifts.

Kairi and Riku loomed over him as he sat there, leaving the rest of the guests to keep dancing. Sora was out of breath, his chest heaving. After all, that was three fast, upbeat songs in a row!

"Tired, are we?" Kairi said with a giggle, leaning right over him with her hands on her knees while Riku stood impatiently behind her, his arms crossed.

"Tired?" Sora said, bolting upright. "No duh, I'm tired! I've never danced that much in my life!"

Kairi cocked her head to the side. "What are you talking about? We've all danced plenty of times. Isn't that right, Riku?" She turned to face the silver haired boy, but the older teen just shook his head.

"Nah, he's right Kairi. Sora told me he hates dancing." Riku smirked.

"Is that so?" Kairi turned back to her boyfriend.

Sora just shrugged. "Now, Riku's exaggerating. I didn't say I hate dancing ... maybe strongly dislike, but you know ..."

Kairi just laughed. "Whatever you say, Sora, whatever you say."

"Can we get back to the party now?" Riku asked, tapping his foot. "You coming or not?"

"You guys go ahead and dance," Sora said. He glanced over to his left, smirked, and picked up his new camera. "I'll get some pictures!"

Kairi smiled, but soon found that Riku had placed an arm over her shoulders. "Okay, well, I'm gonna steal your girlfriend for a while, if that's alright with you."

Sora nodded and waved them away. "Go dance! I'm in a photographer kind of mood anyway."

The red-headed girl shrugged. "Suit yourself," she said, and then she began leading Riku away toward the other guests.

Sora, on the other hand, had other plans. Camera in hand, he began snapping pictures like mad. Everywhere he turned, he saw another photo opportunity. _Snap! Snap! Snap! _He took more and more photos, not caring who they were of. He was just ... having fun!

_I wish ... I had one of these before ..._

Then he stopped where he was, looking off into the distance, as the two people he had just taken a picture of moved out of his line of sight. There, in the distance, he could see the outline of a cave entrance, the secret place, and possibility upon possibility swarmed his mind. What if he'd had a camera back then, when he was on quests in other worlds? What if he had albums and albums of pictures to show everyone, to help tell his heroic tale? What if he could have taken a picture of Donald, Goofy, the King? What if he had a photo of Leon and the Hollow Bastion Restoration Comittee? Jack Skellington and the residents of Halloween Town? Hayner, Pence, and Olette at Station Heights? Namine? _Roxas?_

_What if ...?_

It was then that everything ... all the memories ... really hit him. Life was back to being exacly how it was, and yet, things had completely changed. Everything was so different now. Everything was so ... normal.

_So why does normal feel so strange?_

A new song began to play, and it started off slow, but the rythm was quick and steady. The melody, though ... it was one of those melodies that twisted your emotions, that made a connection somehow, that hooked your brain so that you craved it, listening to it again and again. But the words ... they didn't seem to match. They were out of place ... they just didn't fit.

Then a thought came to Sora.

_'Kairi writes ... poetry?'_

Maybe it wasn't poetry. Maybe those words were song lyrics.

Sora tried to remember what she had written on that page, the words that were jotted down on that piece of paper, as if in a hurry, to get the words out, before the inspiration disappeared. The title of the piece had been something sad, something lonely, yet completely heartfelt. The words of the title alone had touched him, almost scared him, since he knew they had been written by Kairi's own hand.

Yes, he knew what it was. _"Save Me Tonight."_

Sora squinted hard, thinking, trying to recall the words he had seen on the page. He tried to remember ... _What did it say?_

And as the music continued to play, he replaced the lyrics with Kairi's own.

_**There was a time when I was lost in thought**_

_**Couldn't seen to fight through the darkness clouding my mind**_

_**But you were so kind**_

_**Giving me a hand so I could stand on my own**_

_**Thought I was full-grown**_

_**But you showed me that there was still so much I didn't know**_

_**And I felt so cold**_

_**So you held my hand and promised me that**_

_**You would never leave**_

_**So where are you now?**_

_**I felt so strong, but now that you're gone**_

_**I'm not so sure**_

_**Wish you would change my mind**_

_**But I guess I can't expect you**_

_**To save me tonight**_

_**And when I start to fall**_

_**I remember what you told me**_

_**That I've got to be strong**_

_**But how can I**_

_**When I'm still searching?**_

_**I won't give in this time**_

_**But hope seems so distant**_

_**And secretly I'm wondering**_

_**If you will truely ever**_

_**Come back to me**_

_**Life was so perfect, at least, it seemed that way**_

_**But really I was blind to how broken we truely were**_

_**And I was so sure**_

_**Unwilling to admit that I just might be wrong**_

_**Oh, I was so wrong**_

_**Everything unwraveled, and now I can barely stand**_

_**Meant it when I said**_

_**"I love you," but this just hurts too much**_

_**What went wrong?**_

_**We just fell to pieces and faded away**_

_**Weren't meant to be**_

_**Won't ever be the same**_

_**Still, I'm crying out for you**_

_**To save me tonight**_

_**And when I start to fall**_

_**I remember what you told me**_

_**That I've got to be strong**_

_**But how can I**_

_**When I'm still searching?**_

_**I won't give in this time**_

_**But hope seems so distant**_

_**And secretly I'm wondering**_

_**If you will truely ever**_

_**Come back to me**_

_**Tell me what happened**_

_**This disaster hit me hard**_

_**And try as I might I won't ever forget**_

_**But my heart is healing, I'm moving on**_

_**And I know I don't need you**_

_**To save me tonight**_

_**And when I start to fall**_

_**I remember what you told me**_

_**That I've got to be strong**_

_**But how can I**_

_**When I'm still searching?**_

_**I won't give in this time**_

_**But hope seems so distant**_

_**And secretly I'm wondering**_

_**If you will truely ever**_

_**Come back to me**_

The music stopped, and Sora snapped out of the trance he had been in, but his heart ... was pounding. Those words ... they were beautiful, but deep down, they terrified him. How could she write such a thing? Why would she write such a thing? _Why?_

The boy looked back down at the camera in his hand, and what he had been thinking about earlier came flooding back to him. _The photos ..._

There was a connection.

Sora spun around, searching through the small crowd of people for Kairi's face. He finally found her, sitting in the sand next to Riku, facing the rest of the guests, who were still dancing like crazy. She was hugging her knees to her chest, staring at her feet. But then, as if she felt his gaze upon her, she looked up, and her eyes locked with his. She tilted her head to one side and a smile adorned her face. And then ... Sora saw her.

For a brief moment, sitting in Kairi's place ... was Namine.

Sora couldn't believe his eyes. _Why?_ He was shocked beyond belief, frightened by this sudden change. Yet, for some reason, he felt a sudden longing to be next to her. It was as if, all of the sudden, someone else was dictating his emotions. These feelings ... they were foreign to him. Looking at Namine, he felt ... sad.

Then, Sora looked down at himself, and noticed that he had changed, too. His once dark attire was now white, as if the colors had been inverted. He was wearing different clothes, different shoes, and even his hands looked different to him. He had taken on a different form.

He wasn't Sora anymore. He was Roxas.

Words slipped out of his mouth. "You see, everything is like we said. You are here, but we are here with you. You are together, and we are together." He stretched out his arm toward Namine, and she did the same, but they did not touch. After a few seconds, they dropped their arms back down to their sides. He sighed. "Still, we long for something more."

"At least you have memories," Namine said to him. Though she was far away, he heard her voice as if she was standing right next to him. "We have nothing ... nothing but you." She smiled sadly. "You don't need pictures to remind you of your past. You have what's in your heart."

Roxas chuckled. "If I've learned one thing, it's to be thankful for what you do have, and what time you have left. You have friends, you have a home, you have a life. Everything that I ever knew ... my life, my home, my friends ... was ripped out from under me. I was ... I was ..."

"Heartbroken?" Namine asked, trying to complete the sentence. Roxas nodded, and Namine sighed. "We are, and always will be, Nobodies. Still, through you, we are a little more than that, just a little more. But that little bit makes all the difference in the world." She held out her arm again, and Roxas followed suit.

Roxas looked around, his arm still outstretched, and took in the scenery. "You have a great thing, here, Sora," he said. "Don't lose it."

And then, everything turned back to normal. Sora's clothes were dark again, his shoes were the right color, and his hand was his own once again. He looked at Kairi, and he saw her, the one and only. But, their arms were still outstretched, proof that it wasn't some strange hallucination on his part. It had been real.

Kairi's eyes grew wide as she stared at her outstretched arm. She quickly looked from her arm, to Sora, and noticed that he was doin the same thing. She retracted her arm and proceeded to pat her clothing and her face, as if to make sure she was still all in once piece. Then, she looked to Riku, who was frantically turning his head from side to side, switching his focus back and forth between Sora and Kairi. He had seen it, too. The rest of Sora's guests were still going about their business, partying, having a good time, as if nothing had happened. They hadn't noticed a thing.

Sora, on the other hand, hadn't moved from his position. He was still in a state of shock, just standing there, staring at his outstretched arm. He shook his head then, not wanting to believe that the event had actually happened, but still unsure, he looked up at Kairi. Her eyes were wide with surprise as their gazes met, but then her expression softened. She nodded, sadly, confirming that it had, indeed, happened, for she had witnessed it, too.

The boy lowered his hand slowly back down to his side, and looking at his other arm, noticed that the camera was still in his posession. Roxas' words were still ringing, fresh, in his mind, as he searched them over and over for a deeper meaning. Then, something clicked. Maybe these feelings of paranoia that had struck him so recently were not his, but Roxas' doings. And maybe, just maybe, those words had not been written by Kairi, but by Namine.

But whatever the reason, Sora wasn't going to lose what he had. Whatever the reason, Sora was going to make sure that Kairi would never have to sing that song.


	11. Doin' Fine

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, Disney, Final Fantasy Characters, etc, etc, that i may have used, unfortunately. However, if I found out that by some strange occurance I was the heiress to these awesome things, I would be forced to inflict pain upon myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Thank you for understanding.**

(**A/N: **okay! so! next chapter, the end will start to unfold. just letting you know.)

**CHAPTER TEN: Doin' Fine**

"Haha, look at this one, ya? Tidus, Selphie was all over you, man!"

"Let me see that!"

"Woah, chill out, man! It's just a picture, ya?"

"Oh my god! Sora took a picture of that? When he gets back, I'm gonna kick his a--"

"But you have to admit, Selphie, that is pretty funny."

"Oh, Kairi, not you too!"

"Okay, that's it, I'm deleting it!"

"Aw, Tidus, you're no fun ..."

"Oh, no you're not!"

"Wakka, give that back!"

"What are you guys doing?"

_**We are what everyone wants to be**_

_**We are young and carefree**_

_**Life's a breeze for people like you and me**_

Riku had just walked into Kairi's house to find Kairi, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka sitting on the couch, arguing with each other, tugging a silver camera back and forth, or at least, that's how it was. However, the scene had changed slightly since he'd arrived. He had dropped the gift bag he had been carrying to gesture with his hands, his eyes wide and his eyebrows raised quizically at the sight. The other four had turned to look at him, freezing in their current positions, momentarily putting and end to their chatter. Tidus had dived on top of Wakka to retrieve the camera in his possession, while Selphie was leaning over them, her hands on her hips. Kairi was leaning forward, still seated on the couch, as if she were about to stand. Seeing Riku, she smiled, and rose from the sofa to greet him

"Yay, you're finally here, Riku!" she said, throwing her arms around him in a momentary embrace, before she proceeded to pick up his gift sack and carry it over to a table with similarly-wrapped items. "Aw, thank you, Riku, you shouldn't have!"

Riku dropped one hand down to his side and lifted the other to scratch the side of his head. "Umm ... okay ...? Eh ... happy birthday, Kairi." Then he looked around the room, noticing there was someone missing. "Kai ... where's Sora?"

"Oh, he was here earlier," Kairi said, placing Riku's present down on the table and returning to his side. "He got here a little early to help me clean up the place. Then he ran back home to get his gift."

"Ya, and he left his camera here! Lot's o' funny pictures on this thing, ya?" Wakka said, shoving Tidus asside and waving the camera around for Riku to see. Tidus stood up as well and dusted himself off, while Selphie just straightened out. Wakka made his way over to Riku, a stupid grin plastered on his face, shoving the camera in front of him and flipping through the pictures. "Like this one here, after the dancing and what not, where we were playing chicken in the water, ya? This one's o' Kairi and Sora 'gainst me and that hot chick from school. Man, we lost so bad ..."

_**If you look**_

_**Life lays out just like a road**_

_**It's for us to grab ahold**_

_**There's no one that can tell us no**_

Riku laughed. "Haha, yeah, I remember that. Then that girl was crying 'cause you landed on her." He punched Wakka lightly in the arm. "Then you tried to make her feel better. Heh, like that was going to work."

"Hey, you're just jealous 'cause she was spendin' time with me. Yeah, dat's right. I saw you checkin' her out, man." That earned him a glare from Riku, but the boy just shook his head and continued to the next picture. "Oh yeah, and there's this one, ya know, with Selphie and Tidu--OOMPH!" Tidus had tackled Wakka to the ground in mid sentence, attempting to strangle him, while the others just stood there, bewildered. Meanwhile, the camera had been sent flying through the air to be caught by none other than--

"Sora, you're back!" Kairi said, leaping over the two boys on the ground to greet her boyfriend with a quick kiss on the lips. From his hand opposite the camera she snatched yet another gift sack, uttering a "Thank you" before she placed it with the others

Sora, a little let down by the hasty greeting, sighed and looked around the room, glancing at each of the guests. "This it?" he asked, as if he were expecting more of a crowd.

Kairi giggled. "I like small parties, okay? Now, come on, I'm really anxious to open all these presents!"

_**So come on, baby**_

_**Let's just have fun**_

_**Let's breathe stardust into our lungs**_

_**Let's drive too fast**_

_**Let's go too far**_

_**When our hearts bleed**_

_**It lets us know we are alive**_

_**And that we are doin' fine**_

So everyone, including Tidus and Wakka, who managed to stop their bickering for Kairi's sake, gathered around Kairi in a circle on the floor, with the presents strewn about around them, awaiting their unwrapping.

After a few moments, Kairi had unveiled a charm bracelet from Tidus ("Selphie told me girls like jewelry so ... yeah. Don't ever ask me to go into that store again!"), a stunning, yet beautiful, jewel-studded necklace and earring set from Wakka ("It was Selph, man. It's not like I like jewelry or nothin'. Too bad I was outta blitz balls, ya?"), a cute orange and pink skirt and a matching top from Selphie ("I already told the guys to get you jewelry, so I got you clothes!"), along with a few fun-sized chocolate bars she threw in for the heck of it ("You can never have too much chocolate!"), and a best-seller book that Kairi had made it clear she wanted from Riku, wrapped along with a small stuffed bear. The only present left to open was Sora's, and he set it in front of her with a huge, goofy grin plastered to his face. "Open it!"

Kairi dug through the bag to get to the bottom, tossing sheets of tissue paper this way and that, only to find a small box at the bottom. After grinning at him with a remark of, "What a pretty box, Sora! Thank you!" and recieving a smirk in reply, she gently opened it, only to let out a gasp in surprise as she lifted out its contents.

It was Sora's silver crown chain.

She put her hand to her mouth as she dangled it from her fingertips, glancing at Sora, eyes wide. "B-But ... you love this ..." How could she not have noticed he wasn't wearing it? He never went anywhere without it! She almost felt guilty taking it from him ...

But Sora just kept smiling as he put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a look that said 'I love you more.' "It's so no matter what happens, you'll never forget me."

_**We lay down**_

_**Look at the sky from upside down**_

_**There's nobody we have to be**_

_**Let's live fast and see where it leads**_

Kairi tilted her head to one side, dropping her hand down to its place, a look of sadness on her face. _But ... I don't want to think about that, Sora ..._ But, in the end, she smiled. She knew that it was an act of love, and she appreciated it. She would guard the trinket with her life. "Thank you, Sora," she said, and she proceeded to lean in and kiss him, but their moment was brought to an end quickly.

"Ew ... alright, that's it, I'm getting the cake and ice cream," Tidus said, getting up and marching into Kairi's kitchen, calling behind him, "Get a room, you guys!"

Wakka was next to leave, chasing after Tidus while shouting, "Man, you just don't wanna watch cuz you'll be thinking 'bout doin' that with Selphie da whole time!"

That remark got Selphie moving. "You're gonna get it Wakka!" she called after him, leaving only Riku behind.

As Sora and Kairi broke apart, laughing, Riku decided it was his turn to leave. "Yeah, I'll go help with that ... cake and ice cream ... yeah ..." And he, too, left the room.

_**So come on, baby**_

_**Let's just have fun**_

_**Let's breathe stardust into our lungs**_

_**Let's drive too fast**_

_**Let's go too far**_

_**When our hearts bleed**_

_**It lets us know we are alive**_

_**And that we are doin' fine**_

As soon as they were out of sight and earshot, Sora grabbed Kairi's hand. "Come with me," he said, pulling her swiftly to her feet and into the dining room, not far from where they had been sitting before. When they were there, he dropped her hand and turned to face her, as she began to speak.

"Sora, what--"

"Shh!" He silenced her, putting a finger to her lips, leaving her with an utterly confused look on her face. When the boy began to dig through his pocket, that look changed from confusion to curiosity, and when he pulled out a small, white box with a red ribbon around it, her eyes widened in shock. It was relatively flat, the top of it about an inch or two on each side, not really big enough to hold anything.

_**Let's get lost**_

_**In love like wine**_

"Another present?" She asked, reaching out to take it from him, but he pulled it away from her.

"No!" he replied in a loud whisper, for which he recieved a raised eyebrow in reply. With a sigh, he lowered the box back down, taking Kairi's hand in his. He turned her hand so that her palm faced upward. Then he gently lowered the box into her grasp, his hand still lingering on top of it, as he began to explain. "Look, Kairi, you can't open it yet, alright?" he said, a strange look in his eyes.

Kairi's gaze locked with his, and she could see that he was completely serious. But still, she just didn't understand. She shook her head in response, and Sora sighed again.

"What's in this box is very important," he said, stressing the last two words, "but you have to believe me when I say that right now, it's worth nothing, okay?"

"Oh," Kairi's head dropped, as if she was disappointed, but really, it was all just confusing her. _Why won't Sora let me open the box and get it over with? I mean, It couldn't be that important ... could it?_

Sora released his grip on her wrist and brought his hand up under her chin. With one finger, he gently pushed her head upward until her eyes met his once again, and he gave her a tender smile. "Hey," he said softly, his smile spreading to a wide grin, "I promise, someday, it will be worth more than the rest of your presents combined."

At that, Kairi smiled, nodding in reply. She trusted Sora, with her life, and besides, he wasn't one to break his promises. "Alright," she said, leaning her forehead against his, her eyes closed as the box finally fell into her posession. She placed it gently in the pocket of her skirt, where it fit snugly, and used her now free hand to interlace her fingers with Sora's. She leaned in and gave Sora a tender, prolonged kiss, uttering a faint, "Thank you," afterwards.

_**Let kisses quench**_

_**This thirst of mine**_

Sora grinned, and with a chuckle he replied, "You're welcome," pulling her closer to him slowly. Kairi rested her head on Sora's chest, letting out a sigh as he placed his arms lovingly around her small frame. His gentle, and sometimes subtle, acts of kindness never ceased to amaze her ... all the more reason for her to love him. In his arms right then, she couldn't have felt more complete, despite all the questions lurking in the back of her mind.

_**Let me feel**_

_**The weight of your skin**_

_**Pressing in**_

She loved him, and he loved her.

That's all that mattered.

They just stood there in that position for what seemed like forever, enjoying the moment ... which, of course, had to be interrupted by Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie, marching into the dining room singing, "Happy birthday to you," carrying a cake, a bucket of icecream, and plates, cups, and plasticware, respectively.

Kairi turned around in Sora's arms, smiling, and broke free of his grasp as they sang, taking a seat at the head of the table, where a chocolate cake with sixteen candles was set in front of her not long afterward. She clapped her hands together in excitement as the song came to an end, awaiting her chance to wish upon each one. Shutting her eyes tightly, she made a wish, and then abruptly opened her eyes with a deep breath, which was exhaled to extinguish the flame on every single candle. This feat was met with thunderous applause from Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie, who wasted no time in digging in right afterward, leaving Sora to laugh from the other side of the room.

_**So come on, baby**_

_**Let's just have fun**_

_**Let's breathe stardust into our lungs**_

_**Let's drive too fast**_

_**Let's go too far**_

_**When our hearts bleed**_

_**It lets us know we are alive**_

_**And that we are doin' fine**_

Suddenly, Sora felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around to see Riku looming over him, a smirk on his face. "So," the silver-haired boy began, "what did you do about it?"

Sora grinned his trademark grin in response. "Exactly what he told me to," Sora said, and he turned back to look at the girl of his dreams, eating chocolate cake a table's length away from him.

_"You have a great thing here, Sora. Don't lose it."_

"Exactly what Roxas told me to."

(**A/N: **dun dun dun! what's in the box? well, i can tell you now you wont find out for a long time. but i bet if you think about it real hard you can guess. but hey, dont ask me, i'm not gonna tell you.)


	12. Connected

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the KH, KH2, Disney, Final Fantasy Characters, etc, etc, that i may have used, blah, blah, blah. I hate disclaimers.**

(**A/N:** okay, so I lied. next chapter. but this is like a turning point. it's kinda short cuz ... well, if this fanfic were a CD, it's more like an interlude. think of it that way. ok yeah! and there will be 13 story chapters, from the way i have it planned out now, and at least one more with the title song in it XD not a story chapter but i'm gonna put it in there anyway. oh yeah, and the last story chapter's kinda like an epilogue. kinda.)

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Connected**

Sora closed his front door behind him. Kairi's party had been a lot of fun, and after the way his had turned out, he really needed to let loose ...

They hadn't ended up eating the cake. They'd ended up throwing it.

The brunette laughed out loud as he remembered the look on Riku's face when he'd personally scooped ice cream down his shirt.

Then he gulped thinking about what Riku was going to do to get back at him.

Sora stared down and examined himself. Miraculously, he had managed to dodge all the flying bits of chocolate cake and the occasional chunk of vanilla ice cream. In fact, the only way he had participated in their little food fight, besides the incident with Riku, had been when he'd smashed a bit of cake into Kairi's face ... in turn triggering the crossfire of dessert ... and he'd managed to get most of the cake off his hands, though they still felt a little ... sticky.

Oh well. That didn't matter. He felt much better now.

_**Even when I stare, fascinated**_

_**And I've been satisfied**_

Smiling to himself, Sora began walking briskly from the door to the stairs, calling out as he started, "Mom, I'm home!"

"Oh, good! How was the party, dear?"

Sora cocked his head to one side as he walked. He'd expected her voice to come from farther away ... say, the kitchen. But, no, and as he walked by the doorway to the living room he peered across the room and over the countertops, and sure enough, she wasn't there.

_**I notice**_

He turned his head in the other direction as he came to another doorway, the entrance to the dining room, and flashed his mother a smile as he passed by. "It was fun."

_**I find**_

"I'm glad you had a good time."

"Mhmm."

He had one foot on the bottom step and his left hand on the railing as he stopped. He stared intently at the wall, thinking. _... What?_

_**I make sure**_

He shifted into reverse, walking backward until he stood in the entrance to the dining room, staring at the scene he had just witnessed. Yep, there was his mother, sitting at the far end of the table, her hands clasped and resting neatly on the table's surface. Her lips were curled into a small smile, and she seemed happy.

_**I look up**_

But Sora knew better.

_**I notice**_

There was something in the way she was looking at him, eyeing him keenly, like she was studying him ... preparing for something. _But what?_ There was something about how wide her eyes were opened ... how still she was sitting ... how often her fingers twitched.

_**I compare**_

"Uh ..." He raised an eyebrow at his mother, turning fully to face her. "Something ... up?"

She snapped out of her seemingly frozen position to gesture to the chair at the opposite end of the table, giving him a frightening smile in the process.

_**I despise**_

"Why don't you sit down, honey?"

Sora hesitated for a moment, shrugged, and slid down into the wooden chair. Slouching down, he crossed his arms over his chest and grinned stupidly. "Okay, so ... What's up?"

_**I get confused**_

His mother slumped over just a tiny bit as she let out a sigh, looking him dead in the eye. She opened her mouth to speak ...

And Sora's heart began to race.

"Sora ... honey ..." she began, and her face fell. "We need to talk ..."

_**I've been abandoned**_

_Tick ... Tick ... Tick ..._

Sora, who had been pacing back and forth shot a glare at the wristwatch he was wearing, as if daring it to tick, just one more time. _Go on, do it. See what I care._ He watched as the minute hand clicked to the 12, the hour hand to the 8.

_... Tick ..._

_That's it._

Sora ripped the watch off his hand and hurled it at the wall, ignoring the _SMACK_ and the cracking sound that followed. He just couldn't take it anymore. It was as if every little thing was driving him insane.

He could still here her voice in his head. Her words sounded over and over again ... those words ... and that certainly wasn't helping the situation.

_**So because we are all**_

_**Connected to everyone**_

The boy growled. It was just so ... frustrating!

_"Sora ... honey ... We need to talk ..."_

Why? _Why?_

He kicked the end of his bed as hard as he could, and a searing pain followed. But he couldn't care less. Why should he?

_**When you think about it**_

_"Mom ... what is it?"_

Was the world out to get him?

Because right now, it sure as hell seemed like it.

He stomped his other foot as hard as he could on the floor, clenching his fists in the process. He thought he had solved this problem! Did they know the lengths he had gone to, just to prevent this from happening?

Had they any idea ...?

_"I-I got a call today ..."_

_**It's already too late**_

And everything had been so perfect.

Something inside Sora snapped at the memory. He yelled out in rage and ripped the sheets off of his bed, the posters off of his walls, cleaned off the top of his dresser with one sweep of his arm. A few things shattered, some others snapped, but why should he care? He'd be packing them up soon enough anyway.

_**Someday**_

He wasn't just angry. He wasn't just sad.

He was devistated.

"Argh!" he called out, and he punched his bedroom wall ...

Over and over and over again.

"No! No! No!"

How long had he been back? A few days? A few weeks? A few months?

It didn't matter. It wasn't long enough.

"Why?"

And with one last punch to his wall, he sank down to the floor, huddled with his knees close to his chest, his face burried in his hands. He did everything he could to keep from crying. He clenched his teeth together, pursed his lips, furrowed his brows, closed his eyes ... but ... it just wasn't fair.

His whole body trembled and shook as he tried his best to control himself, to douse the fire of rage that was building up inside him. There had been so many thing's he'd wanted to do, so many places he'd wanted to see again, so much he's wanted to accomplish now that he was back. But now ... "I-It w-wasn't supposed-d t-to ha-happen this-s w-way ..."

He sat in silence for some time, his mind running blank, just breathing deeply, until he found the strength to stand again. He sighed, running an ungloved hand across his face to dry it, a new mission in mind.

He needed to go somewhere.

He needed to be anywhere but here.

_**Until we reach the endless sleep**_

And so as he rushed out of his room, dashing down the stairs and leaping over the last five or so, he dug through his pocket for his cell phone. When he found it, which was by the time he had just stepped out of the house, he flipped it open and dialed, as fast as he could manage, his best friend.

"R-Riku ...?"

_**To discover the value of what we have done**_

The silver-haired boy was just stepping out of Kairi's house, having stayed behind to help her clean up. He shook his head. Lazy Sora ... backing out at the last minute when he saw the extent of their little charade. No matter. He never stayed to clean up a mess anyway. But he coudn't really be blamed.

"Bye Riku! And thanks again!" Kairi called from her doorstep as she watched Riku walk down the path that lead to the road. He turned and smiled, waving goodbye one last time as he began to stroll towards home.

_**Even when I stare, fascinated**_

_**And I've already been satisfied**_

He heard her front door click shut behind him as he turned onto the main sidewalk ... and then his phone rang.

_**I notice**_

Riku stopped abruptly, shoving a hand into his pocket to find that noisy, vibrating piece of machinery. When he finally grabbed ahold of it, he flipped it open and held it up to his ear, not even bothering to check who it was that was calling.

_**I find**_

"Yeah?" he answered.

_"R-Riku ...?"_

"Sora?" His eyes grew wide, hearing his best friend's shaky voice, and he took a step back. Then he steadied himself. "You okay? You sound upset."

_**I make sure**_

_"Um ... y-yeah, just ..." _He heard the boy sniff and take a shaky breath. He sure didn't sound okay. _"You ... you st-still at Kairi's?"_

_**I look up**_

Riku turned his head. He was still standing in front of her house, alright. "Yeah, why?"

_**And I realize**_

_"It's j-just ..." _There was a pause, as if the boy was searching for the right words. Then Riku heard him sigh. _"I-I have to ... t-tell you something ..."_

_**I've been abandoned**_

"Bye Riku! And thanks again!" Kairi called from her doorstep as she watched Riku walk down the path that lead to the road. She saw him turn, smile, and wave goodbye to her again as he stepped onto the sidewalk and headed home. She stepped back into her house, closing the front door behind her, not bothering to lock it, pulling off the latex gloves she had been wearing during the cleanup as she strode into her kitchen.

_SNAP!_ One glove down.

She shuffled her feet across the floor, transitioning from carpet to linoleum.

_SNAP!_

She stopped. That wasn't the glove.

"Kairi!"

She spun on her heel and jogged back into the other room, back onto the carpet, stopping only when she saw a very disgruntled looking Riku in the doorway, one hand on the knob, clutching his cell phone in the other. He was breathing heavily, as if he had just sprinted back to her house. Something was up.

_**So because we are all**_

_**Connected to everyone**_

She leaned forward intently. "Riku? What is it?"

"Sora called," he spat out quickly, making Kairi's eyes widen. "H-He needs to talk to you." There was a pause. "Now."

Kairi held her breath, and she dared to ask. "W-Why couldn't he just ... tell me himself?" she said with a nervous smile. A knot was growing in the pit of her stomach. She had a bad feeling about this.

A really bad feeling.

Riku just looked at her for a moment, watching how she fidgeted with the gloves in her hand, his eyes reflecting pain ... worry ... guilt ... what was it?

Well, whatever the emotion, Kairi saw it all.

_How ... how can I tell her?_

"He ... h-he's at the docks," the boy stammered. "J-just ... just go!" He stepped out of the doorway.

_**When you think about it**_

Kairi froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She could only think about one thing ... _What happened?_

With that, she dropped the gloves in her hand, and she just ran, as fast and as hard as she could.

_**It's already too late**_

(**A/N: **gah, cliffies, don't you hate them?)


	13. Goodbye to You

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: Okay, so, because I despise disclaimers so much ... I'm gonna keep it short and to the point ... Do I own KH? NO! Do I own FF? NO! There you have it, folks! Enjoy the second-to-last chapter!**

(**A/N: **yup ... pretty much covered it all there in the disclaimer ... yup)

**CHAPTER TWELVE: Goodbye to You**

There he was, sitting on the docks, dangling his feet over the edge, his shoes barely skimming the briney water below. He was gazing out upon the sea ... watching ... waiting ... as she, herself, had done so many times before. He was leaning back, his weight resting on his hands, and he was facing away from her, not yet aware of her prescence.

Or maybe ...

He sat up abruptly and turned his head to look at her, giving her a quick, weak smile, before averting his gaze to his previous object of interest ... the water.

Kairi smiled back -- a nervous one, a smile that didn't seem to belong -- but he had turned away too soon. It was almost as if he didn't want to see. He had made it a point not to look into her eyes ... like he always did ...

_**Of all the things I've believed in**_

Sora scooted ever so slightly to the left, and Kairi interperated this as her que to sit beside him. And so she did, leaning forward in her seat, gripping the wooden planks beneath her so tightly ... but whether it was in fear or anxiety or whatever, she couldn't tell. All she knew was that, as soon as she had looked away from the back of Sora's head and toward the horizon, glowing with the setting sun, she had been struck with a painfully strong sense of deja vu.

_**I just want to get it over with**_

And the feelings that accompanied it ... weren't so desirable, either.

"So ..." she said, breaking the silence, and daring to glance at the boy beside her, "what's the bad news?"

Sora huffed at this -- it was almost a chuckle, but that would have been too out-of-place -- and from the view of the side of his face that Kairi had, she saw an almost-smile grace his lips. "What m-makes you think it's bad news?"

"Sora ..."

"What?" Sora retorted, snapping his head to the side, thinking that Kairi was still looking in the direction that he had been. But, finding that, instead, she was looking at him, he accidentally caught her gaze. He couldn't look at her ... she would see right through him! She always knew ...

And as much as he wanted to ... he couldn't look away.

He saw in her eyes the worry, sadness, and confusion that could only be found in the eyes of someone that loved you.

She saw in his eyes what she had hoped she wouldn't ... fear.

_He looks ... so sad ..._

The last time she had seen that look on his face had been when ... _when_ ...

Kairi forced herself to close her eyes, shaking her head violently in protest to what she had seen. "No, Sora, no!" she cried, her voice soft but intense. She didn't want that to be the reason. _Not again_. She begged him, pleaded with him. "Please, Sora ... tell me you're not ..."

But he couldn't deny it, and neither could she. _Deja vu ... _It was happening again.

"I'm moving," Sora blurted out, and those two simple words hit Kairi like a ton of bricks. She squeezed her eyes shut from the impact, wincing a little as the words reached her. She had hoped and prayed with all of her being that those two words would never come out of his mouth ... and now that they had, she hoped and prayed she was just hearing things ...

But deep down inside, she knew she wasn't fooling anyone.

Sora sighed, relieved that he had finally gotten the words out, but as soon as that weight was lifted off of his shoulders, a heavier one was dropped carelessly on top of him. He loved her, yet he was hurting her. He didn't want to lose her, yet he was leaving her. He was breaking his promise ... yet he was powerless to stop it.

_You promised._

_You promised._

_You promised._

_You should be ashamed._

His conscience mocked, and he shook his head to rid it of the voice. When he returned his attention to Kairi, he noticed she wasn't looking at him anymore. She was staring blankly at the shimmering, calm, glassy, endless sea ...

And God knew just how many times she had done that before.

Her face was pale, but she sat silently, and he just watched her. _Blink. Blink. Blink._

Then he sighed. The silence was deafening. "Look, Kairi, I --"

"When?"

Sora stopped, frozen in place. _What?_ "What?"

"When are you leaving?"

The boy gulped. He knew she wasn't going to like the answer, but even if he refused to tell her, it was only a matter of time before she found out. So what was the use of keeping it from her? He swallowed hard and answered, "One week."

He saw her shudder as his lips formed the last word. _That's so soon ... _She closed her eyes tightly, but whether it was to keep the view out or to keep the tears in ... she didn't really know herself.

_**Tears form behind my eyes**_

She wanted to cry. Oh, she needed so badly to cry ... just cry her heart out, right in front of Sora ... her poor, tattered heart ...

_**But I do not cry**_

This was way beyond tears.

This was way beyond pain.

This was the definition of agony.

_**Counting the days that pass me by**_

So then why did she laugh?

Not that it was much of a laugh. It was so ... fake, and forced, and would probably have meant more were it unexistant. But she chuckled all the same. "So," she said in that quiet-yet-painfully-intense tone of hers, one that was now almost harsh, "that's what you came to tell me? You called me down here to say 'Goodbye?'"

_**I've been searching deep down in my soul**_

_**Words that I'm hearing**_

_**Are starting to get old**_

Sora shook his head in reply. "No," he assured her. "Not goodbye." He reached out, daringly, and took her trembling hand in his, though she still refused to meet his gaze. He understood the pain she was going through ... or at least, he tried to understand ... and he choked back tears of his own to say, "I don't want to say 'Goodbye' ... Not yet."

Kairi was still, and for a moment, Sora thought she was going to glance his way, but she didn't. Instead, she lowered her head, watching intently her other hand as she fidgeted nervously with a pleat in her skirt. "It ... It hurts so much, Sora ..." she mumbled ever so softly, and then, he thought he heard her add something along the lines of, "Some birthday ..."

That last little remark he thought he heard hit him hard. How could he do such a thing to her? She was the last person he ever wanted to hurt ... And yet, here he was, cutting her more deeply than she had ever been cut before. _How could you?_

_**It feels like I'm starting**_

_**All over again**_

_**The last three years were just pretend**_

_**And I said ...**_

"Kairi," Sora said, his voice quaking as he struggled with his own emotions, squeezing her hand a little more tightly, "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

His words ... they were so simple, yet so ginuine, and Kairi, no matter how battered and bruised she felt, couldn't help but smile. "I know, Sora. I know ..." And she raised her head. "But what's done is done ... and there's nothing either one of us can do to change it." She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "A-And I'm sure that ... the pain ... will go away with time ... right, Sora?"

Sora found himself shaking his head so slightly that it went unnoticed, and he sighed heavily. "If there's anything I can do ... anything at all ... to make it up to you ..." _To ease your pain ..._

At hearing his words, the girl turned to face her love, and she grinned wider. "Stay with me tonight," she said, and both of their expressions softened. "Please?"

_**Goodbye to you**_

_**Goodbye to everything**_

_**I thought I knew**_

Sora opened his mouth to speak words of protest ... but found there was nothing to be protesting about. Sure, his mother would wonder where he was, but it was understandable, considering just how well he took the news himself. Besides, he loved her ... and he would do anything just to make her happy, and put a true, genuine, happy smile back on her face. And so, nodding his head in agreement, placing his other hand delicately on top of hers, he smiled at her, making her eyes light up. "I will."

_**You were the one I loved**_

_**The one thing that**_

_**I tried to hold on to**_

And Sora stayed.

_**I still get lost in your eyes**_

_**And it seems that I can't live a day**_

_**Without you**_

That night, they were happy, but the rest of the week was dismal and grey. Rain clouds loomed overhead every day, threatening the town, while fierce winds whipped through Sora's hair as he helped load up the moving van. It was strange but ... as he was heading back into his house to assist in lifting the next piece of furinature, he stopped, looking up at the impending doom above him ... and he couldn't help but marvel at how much the weather reflected how he was feeling inside.

Dismal and grey.

Kairi felt much the same as she watched Sora from afar. She was staring out of her bedroom window, the panes opened, allowing the breeze to pass through. She wanted to help him ... but that would just be too much to handle. Besides, she was already having trouble admitting to herself that she was wrong.

The pain hadn't gone away.

In fact, it had done quite the opposite. And it was driving her insane.

_**Closing my eyes and**_

_**You chase my thoughts away**_

A clap of thunder was heard in the distance, and a particularly strong gust of wind hit Kairi full in the face. She struggled to close her window and lock it, and the winds subsided, but she didn't close the curtains. She was still watching him intently, all the while wishing she wasn't.

_**To a place where I am**_

_**Blinded by the light**_

The dark sky was lit up momentarily as lightning flashed and yet another rumble of thunder was heard.

And from several houses away, Sora was thinking the same thing as her.

_A storm is coming._

_**But it's not right**_

Yet, miraculously, it didn't reach them until many days later. And what day might that be?

It was that day.

Kairi was awoken by the sound of her doorbell. Slowly opening her eyes, she was met with nothing but darkness. She didn't know whether it was day or night. All that she knew was that she didn't want to answer the door. She didn't want to go outside.

For obvious reasons.

_**Goodbye to you**_

_**Goodbye to everything**_

_**I thought I knew**_

Yet, with a sigh, and a heavy heart, she arose from where she had been resting on the couch and shuffled to the door. Sniffling, she reached out a trembling hand, and with a new-found strength she threw the door open, preparing to unleash her rage upon whoever it was that disturbed her on this rather depressing day.

Only she found that there was nobody on the other side.

Her face softening and her eyes widening in bewilderment, she began to trace with her eyes the path that led from her front porch to the street. As the concrete pavement transitioned into the asphalt road, she froze, taking in the sight that she saw.

There, parked in front of her house, was the moving van.

And there, standing on her front lawn, sopping wet, was Sora.

_**You were the one I loved**_

_**The one thing that**_

_**I tried to hold on to**_

Without thinking, Kairi raced down the path, barefoot, and lept into Sora's arms, throwing her own around his neck. The heavy rain soaked her thouroughly, but she didn't care. She burried her face in Sora's shirt, feeling the contrast between the freezing rain and the warmth of his embrace. He was, however cliche it sounded, her shelter from the storm. And she held on to him as tightly as she could, for she knew, the moment she let go, he would be leaving.

Sora held her to him, his arms crossed around her back, her form securely fitting against his own, and he rested his head on her cold, wet shoulder. She shivered in his arms, and he held her tighter, never wanting to let go, never wanting to leave her side. He could still feel her slightly trembling in his embrace, but from what, he wasn't so sure now. Stealing a glance at her face, almost completely buried in his drenched shirt, he only hoped that she wasn't crying. So he held her, trying to protect her, trying to comfort her ... trying to do something.

Though he knew that nothing he did would change the fact that as soon as he let go, he would be gone.

_**And it hurts to want everything**_

_**And nothing at the same time**_

After a while -- _a minute, an hour, two hours, who cares_ -- he felt the girl shift in his grasp, and he loosened his hold on her body, allowing her to pull apart from him just enough to see his face. They gazed into each others eyes, filled to the brim with sadness and longing, threatening to spill out, unnoticed against the storm, in silvery tears. They were soaked and freezing, their hair sticking to their faces, their clothing clinging to their bodies, but they didn't care. This was their last moment together in who knows how long, and they were going to make it a happy one, a memory that would forever stand out against the suffering that awated them in just a few short moments.

They both wanted it to last forever.

_**I want you**_

But they both knew that the longer it lasted, the worse it would hurt.

_**But I'm not giving in this time**_

"Well," Sora began, breaking the silence, practically shouting to be heard over the deafening roar of the storm. He was staring into his love's anxious eyes, entranced by them, and as much as he didn't want to finishe, he knew that he had to. "I guess ... this is goodbye ..."

_**Goodbye to you**_

In one swift movement, Kairi cut him short, taking him by surprise as she pressed her lips against his. And they shared their final, most passionate, heart-wrenching kiss, pouring out everything they had planned on saying to each other within it.

_**Goodbye to everything**_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"I'll be alright."_

_"I don't want to leave you."_

_"It's not your fault."_

_**I thought I knew**_

_"It won't be forever."_

_"I never blamed you."_

_"Promise me?"_

_"I promise."_

_**You were the one I loved**_

_**"I love you."**_

And as they both reluctantly pulled away, Kairi placed a finger to Sora's lips. "I don't want to say 'Goodbye,'" she told him, and with a smile she finished. "Not yet."

_**The one thing that**_

_**I tried to hold on to**_

Time seemed to slow as their arms fell from their positions around each other, save a hand that remained intertwined, and Sora slowly began to move away, never breaking eye contact with Kairi. Her eyes pleaded with him not to go, but he had no choice. His hand slowly began to slip out of her grasp until only their fingers were touching ...

_**The one thing that**_

_**I tried to hold on to**_

And then, he was gone.

As she watched the van grow smaller and smaller from her front lawn, she silently screamed for him to come back ... for the bay to be flooded ... for the ferry to be closed ... for one more day ...

But, miraculously, the rain slowed to a stop, the storm began to clear ... and he didn't come back.

Kairi looked up, her eyes shining with tears she refused to shed, and took in the sight. The clouds had thinned and dispersed, and spread out before her were more stars than she had ever seen before, illuminating the once dark sky with a light ... a promising light ...

And then, a shooting star.

_Deja vu_ ...

_**And when the stars fall**_

_**I will lie awake**_

Only this time, Kairi didn't make a wish, because she had no reason to doubt Sora's return. He promised, _he promised_, and she had been a fool in the past to ever once think he would break it. That was not a mistake she would ever make again.

Besides, no matter how wide and deep the bay was, how choppy and menacing the water, how long and persistant the ferry ride, he would always be closer than before.

_**You're my shooting star**_

(**A/N:** aww, i'm making myself sad ... only one more chapter (technically) of my first full-length fanfic! there's not an a/n at the end of the next chapter, so i'll just tell you now, there will be a sequel. so ... r&r people! reviews, i like!)


	14. Slipped Away

_**Bittersweet Melody: by hikari-aozora**_

**Bold: **parts of the chapter's song

_Italics:_ a thought or flashback

Underlined: emphasis on words

**Disclaimer: Sad ... the last disclaimer of the story ... it's a fan fiction, alright? FAN fiction. Meaning I'm a FAN ... and therefore, NOT the owner.**

(**A/N:** it's the last chapter ... and the last a/n ... so i'd just like to say thank you to all my loyal readers & reviewers! you rock! XD)

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Slipped Away**

She fought the urge to open the box.

And, oh boy, did she fight it.

Every day when she came home from school, Kairi would lock herself in her room, sometimes to rest without being disturbed, sometimes to write songs without being distracted, and sometimes just to mope in solitude.

_**I miss you**_

_**Miss you so bad**_

But there was that box ... _again_ ... resting menacingly on top of her dresser, mocking her, with it's perfectly square shape and expertly curled ribbons. She couldn't stand not knowing, but she didn't dare defy his wishes ...

Speaking of him ... she was coping with his absence quite well. She had yet to cry, but oh, she had almost cried so many times that holding back the tears had nearly become painful.

_**I don't forget you**_

_**Oh, it's so sad**_

So, going against her better judgement, she had taken down everything that reminded her of him.

All the pictures, all the posters, anything that reminded her of him even the slightest bit had to go. She had taken them down, one by one, quickly but gently, stashing them in the middle drawer of her dresser. Everything was concealed, save, of course, the crown necklace that she never took off ... and the lucky charm, of course, but that was hers long before it ever fell into his posession.

Oh yeah, and there was the box, but she found that she couldn't even touch it without being overcome with that overwhelming urge to unveil its contents. Once, she found that she had to call Riku over to pry it out of her fingers, and she hadn't come close to laying a hand on it since.

_**I hope you can hear me**_

But as for looking at it ... well, that was something she couldn't help, considering she couldn't get around to moving it herself, all of her friends besides Riku had no knowledge of its existance, and if she called Riku to deal with it again, he would most likely deem her insane.

She had tried just looking somewhere else, but she found that her eyes kept wandering back to it. _No, Kairi_, she scold herself, _it's not anything important ... yet ..._

But it would be ... _someday _...

_**I remember it clearly**_

And that always brought her back to it.

_Stupid box._

_Stupid present._

_Stupid S--_

She closed her eyes tightly, cursing under her breath, shaking her head to rid her mind of the thought, mentally slapping herself as well. No, she wouldn't dare call him stupid. Sure, he might be a lazy bum ... sure, he might be a little spacy ... sure, he might be a klutz ... but he was definitely, absolutely, without-a-doubt, not stupid.

_Because, after everything, he still loved me._

She opened her eyes. There was that box again.

_Sora ..._

_**The day you slipped away**_

She sighed. _Back at square one._

_**Was the day I found**_

_**It won't be the same**_

And home? That was just part of the problem. School was, by far, much worse.

He used to sit by her, every day, in every class, and seeing his chair empty hit her hard ... especially in Mr. Nakamura's class, where they had actually shared a table. Despite her efforts to think about something else, not look that way, and even fill his spot with Riku, she always found herself wandering back to thoughts of him ... and how happy they were ...

_Happiness ..._ It was something she hadn't felt in ages. Sadness was no stranger.

_**I didn't get around to**_

_**Kiss you goodbye on the hand**_

She tried to conceal it ... but Riku, he noticed.

And so earlier that day, he had slipped into Sora's seat, and Kairi, filling a strange warmth coming from his spot, looked over at him, her eyes connecting with his. Riku, smiling as if smiling would help, placed his hand delicately on top of hers. "I miss him, too," he told her, and she fought the urge to protest.

No, he didn't miss him. Not nearly as much as she did. He didn't know what it was truely like to miss someone.

_**I wish that I could**_

_**See you again**_

_He ... his time here was so short ..._

_**I know that I can't**_

And as strange as that thought seemed, it really fit how she felt. She swore that she wouldn't have felt worse if he'd died.

Because, the truth was, he was very much alive ... and yet, she couldn't share her life with him.

_He just had to go and move way the hell across the bay._

Riku was still sitting there, silently watching her, as if he was expecting her to say something, but he knew she wouldn't. She had hardly said so much as a few words on the phone to him since Sora left. So, he decided to continue. "If there's anything I can do ... anything at all ..."

She shivered. That sounded so much like what he had said ...

_**I hope you can hear me**_

When she didn't respond, Riku took that as a 'No,' and, sighing heavily, he returned to his seat.

Now, school was out, Riku had long since returned to his own home. She smirked as she thought about what he was probably doing ... playing video games ... watching some drama or comedy show ...

_And what am I doing?_

She was sitting there staring at that damn box!

_**I remember it clearly**_

And she just couldn't take it anymore.

So, drawing in a deep breath, she hopped up from her bed, grabbed the box, opened the drawer, and threw it down on top of all the pictures and posters that inhabited it. Then, letting out her breath in a sigh of relief, she reached down to close the drawer ...

But ... she just couldn't.

_**The day you slipped away**_

_**Was the day I found**_

_**It won't be the same**_

All those pictures ... all those memories ... each and every one concealed in a frame that lay before her ... she couldn't just get rid of them. Sure, she could lock them in a drawer, hide them under her bed, throw them away. But nothing could ever make her forget.

And as hard as thinking about Sora was, she didn't want to forget.

_**I had my wake up**_

_**Won't you wake up?**_

She smiled to herself. _No. Never._

_**I keep asking why**_

_**And I can't take it**_

As for Sora?

"Welcome home, Sora."

He stepped into his new house, still fairly dark and dimly lit by the sun. He took a look around, admiring the architecture, a style that was definitely different than what he was used to.

Feeling hands on his shoulders, he turned his head to see his mother smiling at him, obviously excited about the new location. Seeing the smile returned, no matter how forced his looked to the trained eye, she patted him on the back and walked off, busying herself with bossing around the movers. Still, as she walked, Sora could hear her voice echoing throughout the spacious foyer.

"Isn't it great?"

Sora took the time to really take in his new surroundings. The house was huge. He had never imagined residing in a house so ridiculously large, and he was starting to question where his mother had come up with the money ... unless her new job was paying substancially more than her old one. Nevertheless, he was grateful for the abundance of space he now had ... and boy, was it spacious ... so much that he really wondered if it was necessary. There were only two of them, after all.

"Yeah, it's ... really nice."

He had to admit, it was a beautiful ... house.

_**It wasn't fake**_

But it would never be his home.

_**It happened**_

In the past, he had always been told that home is where the heart is. Taking this philosophy into account, this was definitely not his home. His heart was not here.

It was back on the main island, with Kairi.

And Kairi ...

_**You passed by**_

Well, her heart had always been, and would always be, with Sora.

_**Now you're gone**_

_**Now you're gone**_

And as they would both come to realize, life was just not the same away from home.

_**There you go**_

_**There you go**_

Kairi, as she stared down at the countless photos stacked one on top of the other in her drawer, along with that annoying box, couldn't help but think about him ... and nothing but him ...

Her home ... it was with him ...

_**Somewhere**_

_**I can't bring you back**_

But she couldn't very well go and find him, now could she?

_**Now you're gone**_

_**Now you're gone**_

She shook her head. No, that was a preposterous idea. She barely had enough money to pay the rent ... let alone fund a ferry ride across the bay and several bus trips once she got there.

_**There you go**_

_**There you go**_

Still, she was sick. Homesick.

And staying here was not helping her condition at all.

She needed to get away. She needed to go somewhere, be anywhere besides here, trapped in her lonely house with her painful memories and seemingly pitiful existance. Her life was becoming increasingly painful with each passing day, and the more agonizing it became, the harder it was for poor Kairi to hold out. Yes, she needed a change.

She needed to escape.

_**Somewhere**_

_**You're not coming back**_

_Escape._

That had been their plan from the very beginning, had it noot? _Hmph._ Seems like they were always looking for a change. _And just when I thought I was content ..._

Destiny had to twist the plot of her story.

_**The day you slipped away**_

_No._

_**Was the day I found**_

_**It won't be the same**_

Their story.

Her heart did not lead her astray before, and as it was calling her now, leading her away from this dismal place full of mocking memories and whatnot, she was going to follow it.

No matter where it might take her.

"Yes. It's my turn to do the adventuring."

You see, the way Kairi saw it, life was laid out like a road. There were twists and turns, intersections, forks, signs that warned and encouraged, choices to make, obstacles to come, and other objects to avoid. But no matter how long and confusing the excursion, no matter how many wrong turns were taken, no matter how many dead ends were reached, no matter how many times you had to turn around and go back to the beginning, eventually, you always reached your destination. And ... well ... Kairi was more than ready to make that journey.

_**The day you slipped away**_

And as she took one final look at the drawer and everything it contained ... from posters to cards, from pictures to that infamous box ... she knew that each and every object before her was special, had a meaning. They were all memories, ones that she couldn't live without.

Ones that she wouldn't hide from any longer.

_**Was the day I found**_

_**It won't be the same**_

As she prepared for whatever lay ahead of her, for whatever road blocks and detours she might encounter, she knew that she wanted him ... even if he only existed in a memory ... beside her. That drawer contained all that she would ever need.

She had memories.

She had love.

She had promises.

She had him.

Kairi smiled, putting a hand to her heart, which was pounding with excitement, and her eyes lit up as a feeling washed over her ... one that she hadn't experienced in the longest time ...

Happiness.

_**I miss you ...**_

And it was happiness, none-the-less, no matter how bittersweet.

**--THE END--**

_( to be continued ... )_


	15. Bittersweet Melody

_**------------------------------------**_

_**Bittersweet Melody**_

_**----**_

_the lonely heart's balad_

_**-------------------------------------**_

_**----**_

_**I've had to watch**_

_**Too many sunsets alone**_

_**One too many lonely days**_

_**I've had to live through**_

_**No one should ever have to**_

_**Live with this pain**_

_**Of waking up and finding that**_

_**He's not beside you**_

_**----**_

_**-ah ... ah ... oh woah-**_

_**----**_

_**With one wish upon a star ...**_

_**----**_

_**As the night falls I will sing**_

_**This bittersweet melody**_

_**Love, hear my tragic lulaby**_

_**All I can do to live is pray**_

_**That someday you will find me**_

_**So once again I can**_

_**Live by your side**_

_**----**_

_**One more sunrise**_

_**I've had to witness alone**_

_**Awaiting the light I hope**_

_**Will brighten my day**_

_**I recollect the smallest bit**_

_**Of darkness in your heart**_

_**And then I slowly watched you**_

_**Drift away**_

_**----**_

_**-ah ... ah ... oh woah-**_

_**----**_

_**Wherever you are ...**_

_**----**_

_**As the night falls I will sing**_

_**This bittersweet melody**_

_**Love, hear my tragic lulaby**_

_**All I can do to live is pray**_

_**That someday you will find me**_

_**So once again I can**_

_**Live by your side**_

_**----**_

_**Melody flying with the wind**_

_**-oh ... oh-**_

_**When I dream**_

_**Take me back to him**_

_**----**_

_**As the night falls I will sing**_

_**This bittersweet melody**_

_**Love, hear my tragic lulaby**_

_**All I can do to live is pray**_

_**That someday you will find me**_

_**So once again I can**_

_**Live by your side**_

_**----**_

_**And when the night falls I will sing**_

_**This bittersweet melody**_

_**Heart hear my hopeful lulaby**_

_**All I can do to live is wait**_

_**And someday you will find me**_

_**So I can dream**_

_**By your side**_

_**----**_

_**-ah ... ah ... oh woah-**_

_**----**_

_**With one wish upon a star ...**_

_**----**_


End file.
